The Once and Future Queen
by Kiki1770
Summary: AU. Childhood friends Natsume and Mikan fall apart after an ill-timed confession. The same day, a portal opens, unleashing demons into Modern Japan. Watch Mikan rise as the Queen she's meant to be while dodging her ex-best friend at school, idol training in the evening, and fighting demons by night. Can a person have 3 identities? NxM. Reincarnation. Magic. BAMF!Mikan.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: If the title sounds familiar to you, you must be a Merlin fan! Mikan's and Natsume's past life is strongly based on Merlin. But this is NOT a cross over. **

**I started writing this story as a guilty pleasure. I wanted to combine some of my favorite tropes [reincarnation, time-travel, epic magic, secret identity, vigilante-hero] with manga tropes [high school life, slice of life, rom-com, childhood best friends] using the Gakuen Alice cast. Our Heroine Mikan has not one, not two, but three identities to balance! Two of which she must hide until the time is right! Once you start reading this, I think you'll understand just how indulgent I am with this story. Prepare for an epic and BAMF-Mikan like you've never seen her!**

**IMPORTANT: This story is incomplete. And to be honest, I don't know if I will finish it. But I have about 9 chapters and 32K plus words written for this story already. At the very least, I'd like to share what is written so far. **

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Mikan eyed the blank stationary with great trepidation. She was supposed to be writing a letter- not having a stare off with an inanimate object. Attempt 34, this time for sure she was going to get it right. She would word her confession just perfectly. A half an hour later she put her pen down with a deeply satisfied sigh and sealed her future close.

"Just wait a little longer Natsume." She whispered softly, holding the card close to her chest with a sense of relief and nervous tension mixing in her stomach. Tomorrow she will tell him. Tomorrow, Mikan will tell Natsume, her best friend in the entire world since her toddler days, that she was in love with him.

She stared at the pictures lining her desk, mesmerized by how such a handsome boy had become her best friend, and her first and only love. She knew it was love because the feelings she had for Natsume were intense. They were unfathomably strong. So much so she often wondered if the emotions were her own. Natsume was a natural part of her life, not seeing him for even a day was like having a leg one day but not the next.

Perhaps too strong for someone who was just starting their high school career but as the years went on she just accepted it. She was in love with Natsume Hyuuga.

Mikan slumped over on her desk and suddenly groaned. Why did tomorrow have to be so far away? She closed her eyes and thought about Natsume.

**FLASHBACK**

"_Hey little girl. Wanna play ball? Oh wait, you can't. You're just a girl!" A young boy with reddish hair made fun of a small pig-tailed girl and kicked dirt in her face. The little girl cried loudly._

"_Please don't bully me!" She sobbed loudly. The second grade boys in front of her only laughed harder._

"_When you say not too, it only makes us want to bully you more!" Another boy sneered at her._

"_Waaah! I hate you, you meanies! Leave me alone already!" Mikan's cries became louder. The boys smirked cruelly, and reached for Mikan's skirt. The five-year old's hazel eyes widened impossibly and she froze._

'_No. Someone help me. Please!' She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and prayed. The boys stepped closer, their laughter and the smell of sweat coming closer to her._

"_Ready little gir—OOMPH" The boy suddenly groaned. Mikan quickly looked up and saw the big freckle-faced boy who had started the bullying, lying flat on his face, twitching. Mikan's jaw dropped, forming a tiny 'o' shape with her lips. There was a second "Oomph" and a thud and suddenly another boy collapsed._

_Mikan blinked in surprise. She looked up and saw another boy around her age with dark ravenous hair and reddest eyes she had ever seen in her life standing in front of her with his fist still held out. The red-eyed boy's deep gaze fell on the last second grader still standing._

"_Didn't your mother ever tell you not to pick on little girls?" The boy snapped and let his fist connect with the meaty second grader's nose. The boy went down like a deflated balloon. He stood no chance against the raven-haired boy. Said boy finally turned his red eyes to Mikan. Something unexplainable happened at that moment. Mikan's entire body turned warm and her heart began pounding in her chest painfully. It hurt but for some reason it wasn't a bad kind of hurt. She felt the strangest urge to reach out and poke the boy to see if he was real._

_The boy had a strange expression on his face as well; he quirked an eyebrow at her and extended his small stubby hand._

"_How long are you going to stare at me polka-dots?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. Mikan blinked. Polka dots? She looked down._

"_Kyaa! Pervert!" She cried, and slapped that boys hand away. Her panties were showing from when she fell back._

"_Hey! I just saved you from those jerks, little girl!" The boy snapped. She flushed and quickly stood up and bowed._

"_Thank you for helping me…"_

"_Natsume." The boy supplied._

"_Thank you for helping me Natsume-san!" She said with a great big smile on her face. The boy, Natsume, frowned at her._

"_Are you a baba or something?"_

"_Huh?"_

"_Who bows anymore?"_

"_Hey! Jii-chan taught me to always be respectful! Don't insult my Jii-chan!" Mikan cried indignantly._

"_Okay, okay," Natsume put his hands up in defeat. "But bowing isn't going to cut it little girl. You're gonna buy me something from that vending machine over there."_

"_Ehh? Is that why you helped me?"_

"_Why else would I help a polka-dotted brat like you?"_

"_Grrr! I don't like you!" Mikan declared and marched towards the vending machine anyway. Natsume followed her with a triumphant grin. He pointed to a strawberry milk and Mikan burst out laughing._

"_Who's a little girl now?" She laughed. Natsume flushed an interesting shade of red._

"_Shut up."_

_Mikan thought that was the last she'd ever see the little red-eyed boy who saved her from the bullies. But the very next day on her way to kindergarten she ran into that Natsume fellow again._

"_Oi, little girl!" A voice called out while Mikan was happily humming and skipping to school. She stopped when she heard his voice and spun around with a look of horror in her eyes._

"_You! Stalker!" Mikan cried. Natsume flicked her forehead._

"_I'm not a stalker, we go to the same kindergarten."_

"_We do?"_

"_Ba-ka."_

* * *

"_Natsume! I heard your papa is making you a fence!" Mikan, now a first grader, exclaimed enthusiastically._

"_He's not making me. I'm doing it because I want to." Natsume snapped at her. Mikan pouted. _

"_But what's so fun about painting fences all day?"_

_Natsume deadpanned. He flicked her forehead. "I'm not answering that baka question, baka."_

"_Ow!" Mikan cried, clutching her head. Her nose scrunched up and tears formed in her eyes. She stuck her tongue at Natsume and stormed away angrily. She found out what fencing meant from her Jii-chan the next day._

_During their recess, she ran up to Natsume excitedly and announced she was going to learn just like Natsume. He laughed and told her that fencing was for boys and that girls should just dance or something. It made Mikan cry and she told him she hated him and ran away with his strawberry milk._

_Natsume found her after school sulking under the Sakura tree. He grabbed her hand firmly and pulled her to her feet. "Come with me Polka," he said in a no nonsense tone that only Natsume could pull off as a six-year old. He dragged her to the gym and made her sit in the bleachers. Mikan was confused when Natsume left her there. A few minutes later, third and fourth graders started piling into the gym. They were all wearing weird white marshmallow outfits with even weirder masks on their faces and wooden sticks in their hands. The boys began hitting each other with their sticks when the sensei instructed them and Mikan quickly realized this was Natsume's fencing class._

_She looked for her friend, and found him in the back corner fighting a boy almost twice his size. He wasn't bad but Natsume fell many times and was whacked directly in the head many times too. Each time Mikan cringed but then gaped in awe when Natsume just got up again and again and kept fighting the big kid back. When the class was over Natsume pulled his marshmallow suit off and sat beside Mikan._

"_You smell." She told him. Natsume glared at her._

"_You're gonna smell like this too if you fight with the boys." Natsume teased her. Mikan made a face of disgust. Then she saw the light bruise on Natsume's head and poked it. "Ouch brat!" Natsume whined and held his head. Mikan instantly felt bad._

"_Sorry...does it hurt?" She asked innocently._

"_Of course it does! That's why you should just stick to dance or whatever girls do." Natsume grumbled, smoothing his hair down._

"_Do you like girls that can dance?" Mikan asked curiously._

"_Uhh yeah sure…" Natsume answered distractedly. Then Mr. Hyuuga came to pick up Natsume and Mikan. That night, Mikan begged Jii-chan to let her take dance lessons. Jii-chan said no at first but when she asked enough he said yes. Mikan went to school smiling and giggling the next day. She didn't get to tell Natsume during class so she waited till after school. When she went to watch him fence with the older boys and improve so quickly she decided to only show Natsume her dancing once she was good._

"_Sorry Natsume, it's a secret for now." She whispered to herself and watched Natsume practice enthusiastically._

* * *

_Christmas when Mikan was in the fourth grade was shaping out to be one of the worst Christmases ever, because her Jii-chan had to work that day and couldn't celebrate. She was prepared to cry and mope all Christmas when Natsume suddenly invited her to spend Christmas with his parents._

"_I just don't want to see your ugly crying face everyday." He told her gruffly when she enthusiastically tackled him in a thank you hug. She was so happy she held Natsume's hand, despite his complaints, the entire way to his house. She got really nervous at the door but then Natsume just rolled his eyes and said, "Come on already, polka dots," and pulled her inside._

_Mikan was instantly in awe of Natsume's house. It was her first time over and everything looked so big and fancy._

"_Tadiama," Natsume announced as they walked into the living room. Natsume's mom and dad were kneeled against the christmas tree by the fireplace decorating when they came in. Hyuuga obasan was the most beautiful mama she had ever seen in her life, and Hyuuga-ojisan was the most handsome papa she had seen too. Mikan shyly hid behind Natsume._

"_Okaeri Natsume." Hyuuga obasan greeted with a big smile on her face, she knelt in front of Natsume and stared intently at Mikan. "Who's this? A friend?" Mikan was mesmerized by Natsume's mama's voice._

"_Yeah this is polka dots. She's spending Christmas with us." Natsume answered bluntly and shook Mikan off to plop down onto his couch. Natsume's papa laughed loudly._

"_He's only ten-years-old and he's already bringing girls over, that's my son." Hyuuga ojisan laughed. Mikan blushed, although she didn't know what ojisan was saying she had a feeling he was laughing at her._

"_Ioran, stop teasing her!" Hyuuga obasan yelled at ojisan. "My name Kaoru Hyuuga, what's your name sweetheart?"_

"_Mikan Sakura. I'm ten too!" Mikan greeted politely with a bow, just like her Jii-chan taught her._

"_Haha, baba is back!" Natsume snickered. Mikan turned red with anger._

"_Nat-su-me!" Mikan screeched angrily. Natsume gulped and made a run for it. She wanted to chase after him but was stopped by Kaoru Obasan._

"_Wait a minute princess, you can beat up my son later, you have my full support to teach him a lesson. Do you want to help me make cookies in the kitchen?" Kaoru-san asked with a sweet smile, her violet colored eyes boring into Mikan's chocolate brown ones. Once more Mikan was entranced by Natsume's beautiful mama._

"_Hai, Oba-san!" Mikan answered cheerily. With big smiles, both girls happily baked sugar cookies in the Hyuuga's gourmet kitchen while Natsume and Ioran finished adding the decorations to the tree. Kaoru-obasan asked Mikan all kinds of questions about how Mikan and Natsume became friends, and Mikan told everything with a great big smile on her face. Her smile was contagious and Kaoru-san found herself laughing and smiling with the young girl. While Mikan was telling the story of how Natsume played a prank on her, Kaoru-san leaned over to whisper:_

"_Nee Mikan-chan, do you have a crush on Natsume?"_

"_Eeeh?!" Mikan cried, turning tomato red and dropping her whisk. She knew what a crush was, all the girls in her class kept talking about who they had crushes on. It wasn't until Kaoru Obasan asked her about Natsume did Mikan realize she might actually have a crush on Natsume. "I-I think so…" she stammered and hid her face in her hands._

"_Aww, you are such a cutie!" Kaoru Obasan giggled and scooped Mikan into a great big hug. "Mikan-chan you have my permission to marry Natsume, okay?"_

"_Eehhh?" Mikan cried again._

_Later when they were all sitting around the fire, Natsume and Mikan were drinking hot chocolate and fighting for the last cookie, while Natsume's parents were sipping coffee and "secretly" making bets on how many years it would take Natsume to realize Mikan's feelings. As they were about to head off to sleep, Kaoru Obasan announced she had some big news. She and Ioran Ojisan shared a look, and Ioran Ojisan held Kaoru Obsan's hand with giddy smiles on both their faces._

"_Natsume, by the time you and Mikan enter the fifth grade, you will be an Oni-san." _

_It was the best Christmas of their lives._

* * *

_Mikan spent every day after school at Natsume's house that year and over the summer. Just before their fifth grade year began, Kaoru Obasaan went into labor and she and Natsume were sitting excitedly in the hospital trying to pick names. Kaoru Obasan said that if it was a boy, Natsume could pick the name, and if it's a girl, Mikan could pick the name. Natsume wanted Youichi and Mikan wanted the name Aoi._

"_Youichi."_

"_Aoi-chan."_

"_Youichi."_

"_AOI-CHAN!" Mikan insisted. Natsume smirked teasingly, knowing he was getting under Mikan's skin. As they were arguing, Ioran-san with a solemn face came up to the two fifth graders. At the time, Mikan and Natsume thought nothing of it. They didn't know how much his next words would change their lives._

"_Ojisan over here!" Mikan called excitedly. "Is it a boy? Is it a girl?" She asked, bouncing in her seat, unable to contain herself. Natsume was sitting on the edge of his seat. He wasn't the type to outwardly show his emotions, but Mikan had known Natsume long enough now to read his excitement._

_Ioran sat down heavily, his face was turned away from the children. "You have a little sister, Natsume." He answered numbly. Mikan and Natsume, still oblivious to Ioran's tone, celebrated with a hug. When they realized what they were doing, both eleven-year-olds pulled away, embarrassed._

"_When can we see Mom and Aoi, dad?" Natsume asked excitedly. Ioran's shoulder dropped. Natsume finally caught on that something serious had happened. "Dad?"_

"_I'm sorry, Natsume. Mommy didn't survive the operation. She's dead."_

_Natsume's world shattered in that moment. The Natsume that Mikan knew wasn't the kind of boy to wear his emotions on his sleeve, and she'd certainly never seen Natsume upset before. But that night, Natsume cried and cried more than Mikan thought was humanly possible. She cried as well of course. She'd come to love Kaoru Obasan and even pretended she was her real mother sometimes._

_Ioran-san had to take care of Aoi and other hospital things, so Natsume was sent home with Mikan and Jii-chan. It was the first time Natsume had slept over at her house, but they were too devastated to make an event out of it. Natsume was broken and Mikan couldn't bear to leave him alone. After Jii-chan fell asleep, she snuck into Natsume's room and crept into the bed with him._

"_Natsume I promise I'll never leave you." She whispered, even though she wasn't even sure if he was awake or not. Natsume turned over in his sleep and pulled Mikan against his chest like she was a teddy bear._

"_Good." He whispered back and fell asleep like that. I love you Natsume, Mikan had almost told him that night._

* * *

"_NATSUME!" A shrill shriek echoed through the Hyuuga household. Ioran looked up from his coffee and morning newspaper with an amused smirk. A second later, Mikan and Natsume were running across the kitchen, Mikan with a hairbrush in her hand and Natsume running away with a grin on his face. "What did you do to Aoi-chan's hair?" Mikan yelled as she ran after him. She vaguely heard Ioran-san laughing into his coffee._

"_Nee-chan!" A third voice cried, chasing after Mikan and Natsume. A two-year-old Aoi Hyuuga also entered the kitchen with her hair spiked like horns with her brother's hair gel. This time Ioran spit his coffee onto his newspaper._

"_NATSUME!" Ioran was soon also chasing after his son. "Don't tease your sister!" Ioran yelled loudly, putting a giggling Aoi on his shoulders as he ran after his son._

_The Hyuuga family was full of love and laughter. Since Kaoru Obasan died, Ioran Oji-san and Natsume just weren't the same anymore. Mikan kept the promise that she made to Natsume that night. She spent every afternoon and the weekends of the last two years, since Obasan's passing, with the Hyuuga family and taking care of Aoi. Although the Hyuuga males were devastated those first two months, the laughter and joy that Aoi-chan brought helped them recover slowly. Somewhere along the way, Natsume and Mikan had become Aoi's official babysitters._

_Natsume's smile was back now and every time he flashed that smile at her, her stomach filled with butterflies. They were closer than ever, but things were a little rocky for them at school nowadays. Their classmates no longer believed in cooties and girls were falling for Natsume left and right. Mikan had always thought Natsume was handsome, even when they were in Elementary school together, but she was quite shocked at how quickly his popularity was increasing. But all the girls knew that Mikan was Natsume's best friend, and apparently, except for Natsume, the entire school knew about Mikan's feelings. She was horrified when she found out but when her friends told her at least half the school was rooting for her, Mikan felt better._

_Now if only she could tell him…._

* * *

_It was their final year of middle school. Natsume and Mikan were still best friends, but lately Mikan kept getting the feeling that Natsume was drifting from her. Sure they always worked together in pairs for class projects, and she was always at Natsume's house after school taking care of Aoi-chan while he was at fencing practice, but lately whenever they were at lunch, Natsume's attention seemed to be on everyone but Mikan. When they stayed after school for study session, Mikan found that she actually had to wait in line for her turn to get Natsume's help._

_She wasn't too worried about it until mid-way through their eighth grade when Natsume started becoming withdrawn and throwing himself at fencing and studying with a vengeance. Something was wrong and Natsume wasn't coming to Mikan about it, so one day she cornered him after school._

"_What do you want Polka? I'm not in the mood for games." Natsume sighed tiredly. Mikan just stared at him evenly._

"_You can make fun of me all you want Natsume but you know you can't hide it from me." Mikan told him plainly. He responded with a glare to which Mikan gave him a pointed look. Their staring competition continued for a few minutes then Natsume finally gave a deep sigh and sank down against the wall._

"_Dad's not happy about my grades dropping." He finally admitted. Mikan sat beside him and waited for him to continue. "With his new job and all, Dad is under a lot of media pressure to appear like a perfect 30 something year old leader. 'Young, dynamic, and charismatic'" Natsume mocked._

"_It's a great job for him Polka, his dream. I can't mess up my dad's reputation. I can't just be good at sports or school…I need to be the best." Natsume finished with an embarrassed sigh. Mikan hmmed in response and put her head on his shoulder._

"_I don't think Ojisan expects you to be 'the best' at everything, Natsume," She said, making air quotes. "Wouldn't he want you to just be yourself?" She didn't know what she said wrong, but Natsume suddenly pushed her off his shoulder._

"_You don't understand polka. A lot of people look up to Dad right now. I don't want someone to say 'How can he fix our country if he can't even take care of his kid,' one day. I have to be the best." He answered angrily, and then Natsume did something he'd never done before. He stormed away._

_It hurt her badly, but Mikan was not going to let Natsume get away from her. The next day she marched up to him with a plan in mind. When she got to her first hour, she went straight to Natsume's desk and smacked a pamphlet on the desk._

"_What the hell Polka?" Natsume jumped in surprise._

"_Gakuen Alice. It's the best high school in Tokyo. We're going there next year Natsume." Mikan told him. He looked at her like she was crazy but picked up the pamphlet anyway and quickly scanned the contents. Then, there it was, a ghost of a smile._

"_With my grades, I'm sure to get in. Think you can handle this Polka?" Natsume teased her. Mikan huffed indignantly._

"_Watch me!" She declared like a war cry. They spent the remainder of their middle school year stuffed in libraries and textbooks whenever they could, mostly to help Mikan study for the high school entrance exam. And in the spring, both Natsume and Mikan passed. They were going to Alice Gakuen._

**FLASHBACK END**

* * *

Mikan woke with a big smile on her face. It had been a long time since she had a dream about her and Natsume's childhood, and this particular night she got to see all the best and worst moments. Her feelings seemed to blossom and overflow overnight. She could barely contain her excitement as she pulled her hair into her signature braids and put on her neatly pleated Gakuen Alice uniform. Adding a flower clip Natsume had given to her at the fall festival in middle school, she was already to go.

"Jii-san, ittekimasu!" Mikan called out as she rushed out the door.

"Hey brat aren't you forgetting your breakfast?" Her Jii-san yelled back. Mikan felt like facepalming. She ran back into the kitchen and grabbed a piece of toast with rose jam, her favorite, and then dashed into the kitchen to kiss Jii-san's cheek and say good bye again. Jii-san flushed red as he always did when Mikan kissed his aged, withered cheeks, but like always let her get away with it with that fond expression in his eyes.

She barrelled into her first class with her usual spunk and vigor.

"Ohayo Minna!" She greeted brightly as usual and as usual her classmates gave her a bunch of blank stares. Mikan chuckled sheepishly and skipped to her seat next to her new hopeful friend. "Ohayo Hotaru-chan!" She greeted.

"Who gave you permission to use my name?" Hotaru Imai, otherwise known as the Ice Queen of Gakuen Alice, was Mikan's seatmate. Though most people were wise enough to stay out of Hotaru's way and leave the Ice Queen to her own devices, Mikan found Hotaru fascinating, especially since she's seen Hotaru constantly working on some gadget or another during class with a text book poorly propped up as her cover. It worked though. Hotaru never got caught.

"Oh come on Hotaru-chan, I thought we were friends already?" Mikan asked innocently. Hotaru also happened to be one of the few girls that talked to Mikan. It wasn't like Gakuen Alice was filled with mean people or anything, it's just that the students here had known each other since elementary school and the cliques and groups had long since been formed. Mikan found it hard to squeeze in anywhere. There was also the fact that Mikan just barely passed the entrance exam and had gotten a little help from a recommendation from Ioran Ojisan.

It wasn't like that for Natsume though. Natsume was assimilated into the Gakuen Alice cliques like he'd been there from the start. He made fast friendships with a group of guys. The only ones who Mikan really knew were Ruka Nogi, this sweet guy who liked animals, and their class rep Yuu Tobita. The girls at Gakuen Alice were no different from their middle school. They'd been throwing themselves at Natsume's feet since the first day of high school and after entrance ceremony, in which Natsume had given a welcome speech as student who'd scored the highest marks on the entrance exam, even the teachers and nerds in the school were quick to accept Natsume.

"No, I don't believe I agreed to this so called friendship." Hotaru spit the word out like it was a disease. Mikan sank into her seat deflated. Hotaru was a tough cookie to crack but Mikan just knew that once she got past Hotaru's icy exterior, there was a warm Hotaru inside who'd become Mikan's best, best, best friend—next to Natsume, of course.

Speaking of Natsume, her best friend was already in his seat surrounded by some of his new guy friends and a few girls that Mikan recognized from different classes. Those girls certainly weren't in their homeroom, especially that raven haired one. She looked familiar.

Mikan chewed on a pen cap trying to figure out where she had seen that face before. Then it clicked (no pun intended), that girl was Wakako Usumi. Her day instantly turned for the worse. Wakako was a great big bully and a drama queen. Mikan wasn't quick to judge people but the more she watched Wakako try to rub her breasts against Natsume's arms while reading over his shoulder, the more she felt inclined to dislike her.

"Don't worry Mikan, after lunch you'll never have to worry about her." Mikan whispered to herself, trying to get hyped. Then her insides became all wobbly like noodles. She felt like it was melting and freezing at same time and the butterflies in her stomach morphed into killer bees.

"Talking to yourself Sakura? That's never a good sign." A green-haired girl named Sumire Shouda shook her head sympathetically as she walked by Mikan. Sumire Shouda was a lot like Wakako Usumi, a bully and drama queen, the only thing that separated the two was that Sumire was not cruel, she was witty. Despite her daily tauntings, Mikan actually liked Sumire. It was more of a game to get the last word rather than a quarrel between them.

"It's called thinking aloud Permy. If you did it more often maybe people will think you actually use your brain." Mikan responded sweetly. Sumire's face flushed red and she stormed away angrily. Mikan felt she was well on her way to gaining Permy's respect.

Crap, between Hotaru and Permy, Mikan had nearly forgotten to give Natsume her letter. There was a minute before their homeroom sensei walked in and Wakako's posse finally dispersed. Mikan had to sprint to Natsume's desk and nearly barreled into him.

"Natsume!"

"What Polka? Isn't it a little early for this?" His voice was the same old, same old, teasing. It made her heart swell a little. She blushed faintly and placed the letter on his desk.

"Read this later, promise me!" She didn't give him a chance to respond and sprinted back to her seat. She managed to catch a glimpse of the confused expression on Natsume's face; a part of her wondered if it was because her heart was beating so loud that even he could hear it….naaah.

* * *

**How was it? We got to see all of their childhood in this chapter :)**

**Man, knowing what's about to happen next really breaks my heart for Mikan. Also, I wrote most of this in 2015...or was it 2016? If something feels outdated, that's probably why. **

**Kiki1770**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Are you ready for drama? I think you'll be surprised at the direction the second half of this chapter takes.**

**Warning: Mentions of torture and violence. Not graphic. **

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Natsume POV**

It was hard to believe that just six months ago, the thought of high school terrified him. Just six months ago he and his spoiled brat of a best friend were cramming hard to get into Gakuen Alice. Just six months ago, his dad had officially become the lead researcher for the Japanese Secretary of Defense.

Normally, a research position like the one Ioran Hyuuga had wouldn't gather the kind of publicity it did, but right now the military was undergoing a technological revolution and his dad at the forefront. It also helped that his dad was still young, in his early forties, and apparently had an extremely photogenic face…Natsume usually tried not to think about that.

The point is, six months ago, the whole of Japan had their eyes on the Hyuuga family and were watching them every step of the way, expecting them to set an example for future generations. Ioran never actually said this directly to Natsume, but Natsume wasn't stupid. He knew how to read the subtext.

Though he'd never admit it, this school that Mikan showed him was godsend. Half the kids here had parents that were either rich or active in the media and society. Gakuen Alice wasn't necessarily a school for rich kids but the kids here were better off than most. It's the perfect place for Natsume to make all the right friends and connections, so he won't slander the Hyuuga name.

Of course, when you have a best friend like Mikan Sakura…things don't always go as planned. Mikan was clumsy, always has been, but she was true and genuine. It was one of things Natsume appreciated the most about her. Her intentions were probably innocent in leaving a letter on his desk, but seriously, in this day and age, who writes letters anymore?

He was safe until lunch; then Mochiage was the first to pounce.

"Whoaaa Hyuuga, don't love letters normally go in your shoe locker?" Mochiage sneered, setting his plate down beside him. Mochiage's mom was a reporter that frequently did interviews with his dad. Though Natsume thought Mochu was an okay guy, he knows he has to play along if he wants to be accepted into their circle.

"It's not a love letter, Mochiage." Natsume rolled his eyes, calmly eating today's lunch: tonkatsu with steamed rice, miso soup, and pork dumplings. He loved Gakuen Alice's cafeteria.

"Sakura and Natsume are just acquaintances. We shouldn't assume anything." Ruka chipped in, sliding into his place on the other side of Natsume. Natsume really liked Ruka. Even if his parents weren't financial supporters of his dad's research, Natsume knew they'd be friends anyway. But Ruka's words just then made him cringe a little. _Actually she's my best friend and I've known her for years_…Natsume thought within the recesses of his mind.

He felt guilty for down playing his friendship with Mikan, but right now his main focus is befriending as many people as he can. Besides, even if he didn't announce it, it's not like he's keeping a secret. They'd find out about Mikan eventually.

"Hey Natsu-chan." Kokoro Yome and Kitsuneme Yome greeted simultaneously with their lunches in hand.

"Don't call me that." Is Natsume's simple response. It's simple really. He hates nicknames. All nicknames. The two blonde haired brothers just grinned and high fived each other. They did that when they successfully annoyed someone with their twinness.

"Guys, don't all interrupt at once. We're trying to figure out the deal with Natsu-kun's love letter." Hayate, Mochu's partner-in-crime who'd been busy stuffing his face with tonkatsu till now, interrupted.

"Dude, you got a love letter? Was it from Usumi?" Koko asked.

"No way brother, it was Sumire Shouda." Kistu shook his head. Koko glared at his twin.

"Guys. It's not a love letter. It's just a letter from Po- Sakura." Natsume hastily corrected himself. The chatter around them died down and suddenly everyone was really interested in Natsume so called "love letter."

"Po-Sakura?" Ruka asked.

"Tongue slipped." Natsume flushed.

"A letter from Mikan-chan?" Yuu asked interestedly, and if Natsume looked any closer, with a slight blush.

"Aye, Yuu! You're on a first name basis with Sakura already, ya sly dog!" Kitsu nudged the class rep playfully.

"Oh man, Sakura's pretty cool, Natsu-chan. We played a prank on Jin-Jin once!" Koko grinned in approval.

"Don't call me that!" The crimson-eyed teen snapped again. The twins dissolved into a fit of giggles. Just when Natsume thought they were moving on from the topic and he could enjoy his food in peace, Mochu got a devious look in his eyes that increased Natsume's sense of forlorn.

"Well…" Mochu interrupted, exchanging a look with Hayate. "If it's not a love letter, you wouldn't mind if we read it aloud, right?" Six pairs of expectant eyes turned to Natsume. The crimson-eyed teenager wondered if this is what it feels like to have a dumpling stuck in his throat because he certainly feels like he's suffocating right now.

"Come on guys, that would be an invasion of Sakura's privacy." Ruka frowned at them. Natsume shot Ruka a grateful look.

"If it's not a love letter then it's not really anything personal, right?" Hayate rebutted. Hayate reminded Natsume of a falcon sometimes and right now Mikan's letter was starting to look like prey.

"Read it, read it, read it, read it!" The twins began chanting. Their eyes were all on Natsume, expectantly awaiting his answer and that sense of suffocation returned. His mind blanked.

"Okay, fine!" And before his brain can tell him to stop, he flicked the letter in Mochu's direction. It's okay. It's Mikan. She's probably going to mention something about Aoi. Natsume rationalized.

"Yea-ah, now that's what I'm talkin about!" Mochu grinned and tauntingly opened Mikan's letter. Every fiber in Natsume's protested letting Mochu read the letter but his mind has him rooted in place. His face is masked with indifference. Mochu cleared his throat and began reading.

_Natsume,_

_There's something I have to tell you. I've thought about this a thousand times before writing this, and I've rewritten this letter at least a hundred times just to make sure it was perfect. What I'm about to tell you might seem completely random, but I believe life is meant to be filled with spontaneous moments. These are the moments we carry with us in our memories and in our hearts. So here it is. I'm going to be spontaneous with you, and I hope you forgive me for my suddenness._

_I love you, Natsume Hyuuga._

Natsume's heart sank. Not like this. Not like this. He tore the letter out of Mochu's hands. The guys all froze. Natsume's blood-pressure spiked. Like a thousand racehorses were speeding through his veins and the reverberating hooves digging into the dirt track sounded a lot like his own heartbeat, thundering in his ears. Then that Sumire Shouda girl broke the silence.

"Oh my gosh! How adorable! She wrote you a love letter! Isn't Sakura-san just precious?" Shouda purred in that high decibel screech of hers, as if there weren't enough eyes on them. It took a second for Natsume to comprehend what she said, but that second is all the guys need to chuckle and turn her thinly veiled insult into playful sarcasm.

"Calm down, man. We didn't know it was actually gonna be a love letter. I mean, seriously, I thought we passed the sixth grade three years ago." Mochu snorted awkwardly.

"Haha and this line right here 'I believe life is meant to be filled with spontaneous moments,' what the duck? She might as well say I've been stalking you for the past two months and I'm obsessed with you." Hayate cackled in response. The other guys tried to chuckle along but the awkwardness did not dissipate. If anything, it fueled their need to end this gross infantilization of his best friend with sarcasm.

"Natsume can do way better than Sakura anyway, right man?" Koko added, high-fiving Kitsu in the process. Shouda suddenly frowned sympathetically and began tutting her lips.

"Tsk, tsk tsk, poor Sakura-san. I heard she just barely passed the entrance exam and had an uncle or someone pull a few strings. I guess she didn't get the memo that it takes more than being a spunky little fangirl to date a Gakuen Alice Elite."

Natsume felt murderous. How dare they? These assholes don't know Mikan at all. He glared at all his so-called friends like he wanted to burn them to their core. But then his father's face appeared in his mind and he realized that if he blew his next words he'd lose all these guys for sure.

"Y-yeah…fangirls. What can you do?" He couldn't do it. He couldn't say anything else. But that one lie was enough to destroy ten years of friendship. With that one lie, Sumire stepped aside to reveal Mikan standing right behind her. Mikan had heard every word.

"See Mikan, he's not interested after all." Sumire patted the girl sympathetically. The Mikan that he'd known for ten years —the girl who hasn't changed her hairstyle since kindergarten much less the omnipresent smile that looked like it was tattooed on her face— was suddenly no longer the Mikan he knew anymore. There were tears in her eyes, not the spark of life and vivacity that Natsume had grown used to. Her face was red, but not with that demure blush that she sometimes showed when they hugged or got too close, it was a red of humiliation. He spent the last ten years of his life beating the shit out of anyone who dared to take that smile away. But now...he did that. He took that smile away from her.

Mikan stared at him like that. She then took a deep, steadying breath. "Is that what you really think Natsume? That I'm inferior to you?" She asked calmly.

He was being watched. The entire population of Gakuen Alice was in the cafeteria today just to watch this one moment. On one side, he had his best friend of ten years and on the other side, his means of proving himself worthy of the Hyuuga name. The choice was rather obvious.

"No, you're just a confused little girl mistaking idolization for feelings." His reasoning trumped his emotions, thus allowing him to humiliate his best friend in front of the entire population of Gakuen Alice and simultaneously break her heart.

* * *

**Mikan POV**

"No, you're just a confused little girl mistaking idolization for feelings." The glass shards of rejection slipped so effortlessly from the one she called her best friend. Mikan ran out of the cafeteria just as the chorus of "**Burns!**" flooded the space. She felt so many different things all at once; humiliated, betrayed, alone, discarded…

The pain she felt in her chest was comparable to nothing she'd ever felt in her short fifteen years of life. The thing Natsume took away from her that is inherently a part of her existence and essential for survival is...Natsume. The rejection hurts. Being thrown away hurts worse.

Mikan ditched school for the first time in her life that day.

She walked straight out of the pristine 'elite' gates of Gakuen Alice and didn't stop until she reached the bus stop. Tears steadily streamed down her cheek like a wound that didn't stop bleeding. People stared and pointed fingers at her, but she didn't care. They were strangers, just like her so-called school friends.

Hotaru didn't even glance once in her direction when Natsume's friends tore her confession apart. She kept eating her crab cake, callously oblivious to the world. Then there was Yuu; class rep was helping her get acclimated to the school. She even thought they were well on their way to becoming good friends. But Yuu just sat silently through the taunting. Kokoro Yome and Kitsuneme Yome were no strangers; they had their fun playing harmless pranks on their scary home room teacher Jinno-sensei.

Mikan put one foot in front of the next and somehow managed to find her way home. The Sakura Orphanage. Jii-san was her real grandfather but before Mikan was born, his home was an orphanage. The sight of the sakura petal painted door made her feel slightly better. She scrubbed her face free of tear tracks, plastered a bubbly smile, and threw the door open.

"Tadaima Jii-saaaaan!" She held her smile in place as if Jii-san would find out instantly if she didn't. There was no response.

Mikan blinked and looked around the house for real this time. Everything was a mess. Chairs were flipped upside down; the sofa downy was pulled out; shattered portraits littered the ground along with broken vases, china, and Jii-san's tea sets; there were knives embedded deep in the walls, and their tatami doors looked like a wild animal clawed through them.

"J-jii-san?" Mikan whispered frightfully. The house looked like something out of a horror movie. Something happened. She had to find Jii-san. "Jii-san!" Mikan screamed with more urgency. She ran from room to room screaming for Jii-san.

"Jii-san, please! Say something!" Hysteria overwhelmed the brunette teen when she opened room after destroyed room. There was a loud banging coming from the shed in the backyard. Even though it was crazy, Mikan ran towards the shed without a second thought. The thudding sound repeated. Like someone repeatedly throwing heavy objects against the walls. The shed quivered when the next thud came. Through the glass window, she saw a body being thrown against the wall.

"Jii-chan!" Mikan cried and rushed inside. She pulled her grandfather's head in her lap. He was broken and battered with bruises blue and purple coloring his face. Blood dripped from his nose, head, and mouth. "Oh my god." She gasped and looked up to see the perpetrator for the first time.

The perpetrator was wearing a black kimono with a hood shielding her face, she was very obviously a female. The only thing Mikan can make out is the woman's slender frame and pale hands with sharp red-painted nails. The cloaked woman chuckled.

"At last her highness appears…" The woman mocked.

"What do you want with us? Why are you hurting Jii-chan?" Mikan snarled, a dark hatred she didn't she was capable of rushed to the surface, exhilarated by every step the woman took closer to her.

"That old geezer? A causality. He refused to tell me where you were." The woman tutted, shaking her head nonchalantly. Mikan stiffened when the woman's cold fingers brushed against her cheek. Fear rooted her in place. A cold sweat broke on her brow.

"W-who are you?" Mikan asked. The woman threw her hood back, revealing a smirk on her deep red-stained lips. The woman didn't look much older than Mikan, nineteen or twenty at most, but the look in her eyes made her seem so much older. She was terrifyingly beautiful with skin as pale as ice, lips red like her nails, and eyes black like the night sky, framed by thick lashes and a beauty mark under her left eye.

"You foolish, foolish, princess…you really should know better than to forget my face!" The woman snapped and struck her hand out. As if gravity shifted, Mikan was thrown against the wall by some invisible force. The breath knocked out of her. Pain crept along her back, and her arms protested as she propped herself up. The woman dipped into a mocking bow. "I am Luna Koizumi, your highness."

"Y-your highness?" Mikan coughed. Luna quirked an eyebrow, amused.

"How funny and stupid you are. A thousand years later and you are still an idiot. A crown does not a princess make, right Princess?" Luna grabbed Mikan by the chin and yanked her face closer to inspect her. The sorceress's nails dug into the brunette's cheeks.

"I cannot believe I lost everything I ever held dear because of a half-brained, lowly servant like you." Luna released the girl's face only to launch her body against the wall again. This time Mikan heard a loud crack and felt something sharp pierce her back. She fell with an unceremonious thud and was showered in fragments of glass.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Mikan hissed in pain.

"I cannot believe you're dumb enough to keep speaking." Luna cackled humorlessly and struck her palm out again.

Mikan tried to fight the invisible force that dragged her over the glass fragments and smashed her head against the metal shed door. Like she was being crushed between two walls, all the oxygen in the room was squeezed out. Mikan saw spots. Blood flowed her scalp into small pools. The pain became unbearable, it's almost enough to forget her fear. _Almost._

Luna repeated the motion of smashing Mikan into the wall again and again.

**Thud. **

**Thud. **

**Thud.**

"Come on princess, I feel like pulling feathers from a chicken." Luna giggled sadistically. Mikan coughed and blood splattered next to her. The heavy iron substance coated her tongue and dribbled down the side of her chin.

"P-please…please stop." Mikan sobbed. She didn't even have the strength to move anymore. The invisible force disappeared and oxygen rapidly filled her lungs. Through the curtain of her lashes, she saw Luna shake her head in disgust. Then she dug her sharp heel into Mikan's hand.

Mikan screamed.

"You're no fun at all without your memories, Mikan-sama. Killing you now would take the fun out of my revenge." Luna mocked over the cries of anguish. The sorceress twisted her heel harder and Mikan choked on her tongue. "No. I won't kill you just yet." She removed her heel and walked towards Jii-chan.

"No…don't hurt him." Mikan half-sobbed and half-begged. Jii-chan was her world. He's everything to her, a mother, a father, a friend, a confidant, everything. She can't lose him. Luna ignored her. With a flick of her fingers, Jii-san slid towards the sorceress.

Her grandfather moaned.

"Hm, so he's still alive."

"N-no…" The brunette whispered helplessly. Luna leaned over his body, ripped the seams of his shirt, and using her claw-like red nails, she began carving into his skin.

Mikan closed her eyes. Unable to bear the sight of torture.

The sorceress whispered something, too soft for the girl to hear. The carving on her grandfather's chest began glowing and from it emerged a vortex of light. It crackled with lighting and rumbled with thunder.

The force of the vortex shredded the metal shed apart. Mikan was thrown onto the grassy yard, her eyes skyward filled with the sight of a brewing storm. Breathing heavily, the girl gingerly pawed away from Luna.

"_**Demon beast, I command you to come forth and bind your will to my word**_." Luna's voice boomed over the roar of the thunder. A figure emerged from the vortex and began to materialize. It looked a lot like a komodo dragon but with tusk-like fangs, sharp scales on its back, and a spiked mallet for a tail. It's a demon —an _oni_ from the folklore Jii-chan used to tell her. Luna's eyes finally turned to Mikan. "I'd suggest you start running Princess, this little creature is dying to taste human flesh."

With a glass punctured spine and blood spilling out of her orifices, the brunette rose anyway. Driven by fear and adrenaline, she stood on battered legs and sprinted for her life.

She'd seen the life drain from Jii-chan's eyes and now she was running away, leaving his broken, bruised body behind with that witch. The demon behind her was agile on its feet and forced Mikan to run into the forest. The blood loss and repetitive bashing on her head left spots dancing in her vision.

Many times, she tripped over roots and collided with tree trunks, but she kept running. It gained on her, following the trail of blood the girl oh-so-helpfully left behind. Its claws pounded on the soft earth and its tongue slithered out of its mouth, snarling in her direction.

The skies darkened even more. Her only source of light was the clash of lightning, angrily rippling through the sky.

The komodo demon lunged and an angry claw slashed the small of her back. Mikan screamed when it pierced her skin. The force sent her flying forward. A large oak tree broke her fall. She crumpled beneath it. She couldn't move any more. Her muscles simply refused.

The agony was overwhelming and it hurt to breathe; however, none of that compared to the growing dread as the demon inched closer.

_**Use your magic!**_ A voice in her brain cried.

It walked slowly with exaggerated long movements; tauntingly. The scales on its sinewy back tautened and the creature's jaw hung open to reveal razor-sharp rows of teeth. She was cornered.

_**Your magic, Mikan!**_

The komodo dragon demon growled deeply in warning. Its hind legs locked to pounce. She was trapped.

_**USE IT NOW!**_

It launched. Mikan screamed and threw her hands over her head. And then, something exploded out of her—a force that was benevolent and malignant at once; a force so strong it visibly emitted rays of golden light; a force that circled the the beast, pierced its flesh, and burned the creature from the inside out. That force was coming from the palm of her hand. It was coming from Mikan.

When the light cleared, a new voice startled Mikan out of the frenzied shock.

"Your highness! Thank goodness, you are alright!" Mikan's eyes flicked to the source. There was a young girl, maybe her age, with opal skin, mystifying silvery-blue eyes and equally silver-blue ringlets of hair framing her face. Instinctively, Mikan knew this girl wasn't a threat, but hysteria overwhelmed logic.

"Stay back! I don't know what I just did but I'm not afraid to do it again!" That was a lie of course. Mikan was terrified of the force that burst out of her.

"I am Nobara Ibaragi and I am a faithful servant of yours Mikan-sama. I know you are frightened, but I promise you I will bring you no harm." The girl, Nobara soothed, dipping into a low bow. It worked. Mikan lowered her arms and then fatigue and exhaustion overwhelmed her. "Sleep Mikan-sama, all will be explained when you awaken." Was the last thing Mikan heard.

* * *

**Writing the dialogue for this chapter was incredibly taxing. I'm not as proficient at sarcasm as I used to be and struggle to hurt/harm/insult my characters. Sigh, I tried my best. Please let me know if the dialogue is inorganic or forced. **

**Also, I am tentatively updating this story every Sunday and Wednesday until chapter 10. After that...hehe we'll see. **

**Review please!**

**Kiki1770**


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: This story is cross-posted on FFNet, AO3, and Wattpad. For a more interactive storytelling experience, please read the version on Wattpad. The Wattpad version will include pictures, images, and eventually music videos :) **

**Wattpad/AO3 Tags: Alternate Universe, Reincarnation, Time-Travel, Demons, Magic, High School Life, Idols, KPOP, Best Friends to Lovers, Rom-Com, Shoujo Manga, Fencing, Heroes, Secret Identities, Vigilante etc**

**Also, please don't let the character's immaturity turn you away. They're 14- and 15-year-olds who just finished middle school at this point. They _will_ grow up and be redeemed in later parts of the story. **

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Natsume POV**

For the past two week, Japan has been under a military lockdown. A curfew was imposed and families, for their own safety, were not allowed to leave their homes under any circumstances. Businesses, schools, the media, public transport, everything was closed down. The streets were patrolled by tanks and the Japanese army by the hour; however, since the first sighting of the monsters fourteen days ago, not a single monster has been seen since…in public, that is.

Because of his job, Ioran was gone most of the time, leaving Natsume alone to take care of Aoi. His father was extremely stressed. They managed to capture a single beast, it took an entire artillery to subdue the creature but they quickly found out the monster could not be killed by bullets and firearms. In fact, his father had concluded that modern weaponry was completely useless. This revelation was somehow leaked to the public and sparked panic everywhere; it extended the three day lockdown to fourteen.

Today was Natsume's first day returning to school. With all the panic and hysteria going around lately, he'd completely forgotten about Mikan. Now he'd have to face her. He found himself halted in front of his homeroom class. He tried listening in to see if he could pick her voice out from the masses, but no dice. As expected, everyone was talking about the monsters in Japan.

"Hyuuga-kun," His homeroom teacher called, appearing out of nowhere and causing Natsume to jump. His face was stern as usual but there was also something grim about Jinno-sensei today. "Class is in the classroom, not out in the hallway."

"Yes, sir." Natsume replied quickly, and let himself in. The chatter died down instantly and they all stared at Natsume. Natsume sighed mentally, he should have known that monsters being unleashed in Japan wasn't reason enough for Gakuen Alice students to forget how he had publicly humiliated and rejected Mikan in front of the entire school. The walk to his seat never seemed so long. Thankfully, Jinno-sensei followed behind Natsume immediately and started the class without a second to waste.

"Students, as you know, the world has drastically changed in the course of fourteen days; however, life must go on. In light of this terrible phenomenon, the school has imposed some new rules for your safety and protection. Firstly, there will be drills after school as precautionary measures in case of an attack. Secondly, if ever the government should signal a lockdown, regardless of whether school hours have ended or not, you are to remain on premise. Thirdly, your senseis' are all undergoing vigorous training for handling emergency situations such as an attack; therefore, in case of an emergency, you are not to act without permission and direction from your homeroom sensei. Is that understood?" Jinno reported to the class matter-of-factly. His response was various "Hai's."

"Sensei, Mikan-chan seems to be absent." Yuu pointed out, raising his hand. The murmurs began up again, and Natsume saw many eyes glancing in his direction. He grit his teeth and did his best to ignore it. At the front of the room, Jinno-sensei suddenly got very uncomfortable. He cleared his throat severely times before he began.

"Right, well this information has not yet been made public, but unfortunately, one of six casualties suffered during this invasion has struck the Sakura household." Natsume felt the color drain out of his face. "Nonno Sakura-san was killed in the attack, and Sakura-san is currently in the ICU being treated for injuries."

The silence that followed then was unbearable. Natsume felt something deep within him burning painfully. The hot flame spread through his body like wildfire and breathing suddenly became really hard. He had to get some air, some water, anything that would cool him down. He didn't think. He ran out of the classroom. He heard his name being shouted after him but he didn't care.

His feet lead him to the school's private courtyard. He collapsed under the shade of the sakura tree. Everything hurt. Like his own body was attacking— no punishing him. The last time his insides were on fire, he broke Mikan's heart...Mikan. Memories flashed behind his eyes.

He saw Mikan as a defenseless five-year-old, too naive to even think about running from the bullies— she just sat there and cried. He remembered how he felt back then; an overwhelming desire that screamed **PROTECT** that brat. He remembered how when his mom died, Mikan slept beside him the whole night so he wouldn't have to feel alone. She did it every year on his mom's death anniversary.

He remembered the sleepless nights after Aoi's birth, she used to cry all night, and he and Mikan would sit beside her and tell her stories and make funny faces until Aoi fell asleep. When Aoi finally fell asleep, Mikan would blink dreamily and curl up in his lap with a goofy smile on her face.

He remembered how he pushed her away in middle school because he was afraid that he wouldn't be as perfect as she imagined him to be. He remembered how even though Mikan was slow sometimes, she would stay up all night working on the same problem sets and insisting that she would get into Gakuen Alice with or without his help.

The sound of approaching footsteps pulled Natsume out of his memories. He saw Ruka standing behind him, offering him a water bottle. He took it without a word and Ruka sank down next to him. He didn't say anything, for which Natsume was grateful for.

"She's my best friend." Natsume finally admitted. "I hurt her and now I don't even if she's alive." Something akin to tears formed in Natsume's eyes. He refused to cry though. He didn't have the right after what he did to her.

"Why did you do it, Natsume?" Ruka asked. Natsume ran his fingers through his locks of raven-colored hair. He stared at his hands with disgust.

"It was her or my reputation. And I chose my reputation." He answered through gritted teeth. Then he felt angry, at himself, at Mikan, at his friends, everyone. "I mean what was I supposed to do? If I lose face with these kids here, I could never face my dad again. She knows how crucial this is for me. Why would she give me that damn letter?" He growled, slamming his fist into the ground.

"Aren't you forgetting something important?" Ruka frowned in disapproval. Natsume gave him a blank stare. Ruka sighed and pulled a folded note from his pocket. "You're forgetting the fact that Sakura told you she loved you."

Damn, Natsume thought, those words hit him like a ton of bricks. The anger drained out of him, he slowly opened Mikan's letter.

_Natsume,_

_There's something I have to tell you. I've thought about this a thousand times before writing this, and I've rewritten this letter at least a hundred times just to make sure it was perfect. What I'm about to tell you might seem completely random, but I believe life is meant to be filled with spontaneous moments. These are the moments we'll carry with us in our memories and in our hearts. So here it is. I'm going to be spontaneous with you and I hope you forgive me for my suddenness._

_I love you Natsume Hyuuga._

_I know what you're thinking. I'm just a spoiled brat. A little girl who still wears polka dotted panties (call me that again and I will kill you Hyuuga!), but I'm not so dumb and naive that I don't know my own feelings for you. I know my love is not so insignificant as those petty crushes those girls who are falling at your feet claim they have. I know the real you Natsume Hyuuga and the real you is the one I chose to love._

_I love the you that makes fun of my cooking but eats every last bite anyway because you hate take out food and even though my cooking is nowhere near as good as Kaoru Obasan's, you still tell me it reminds you of her. I love the you that won't let Aoi share her ice cream with boys she just met at the park because you think she's too young to be around boys. I love the you that likes to sit beside Ioran Ojisan by the fireplace and listen to him read stories about samurais and the Meiji Period even though you don't share his love for historical fiction. I love the you that despises all nicknames because you treasure the name your mom gave you._

_Above all, I love the you that treasures his family more than anything else in this world. And now I'm trusting you to treasure my heart as well Natsume, because if you will have me, it is yours._

_Mikan._

The letter fell from his hands.

"God...what have I done?" Natsume moaned, burying his face in his arms. How could he have forgotten something so crucial? How could he have spent all this time furious with Mikan for inconveniently giving him a letter and _completely_ forget that she was in love with him?

"I don't think Sakura's feelings for you were frivolous, Natsume. You just rejected the girl who could love you the most in this entire school— no, in the entire world." Ruka told him bluntly, each word a punch to Natsume's gut. Natsume stared at his hands with open disgust. He broke Mikan's heart with these hands and destroyed her trust, and the worst part was— "And you know what the worst part is? You love her too, Natsume," —that Natsume was wholly and entirely in love with Mikan Sakura.

* * *

**Mikan POV**

When she regained consciousness, something felt off. Was her body supposed to feel airy and feather-like? Her presence felt faint; like she was there but not fully. It wasn't an uncomfortable feeling but it was enough to startle her out of her deep slumber.

"Mikan-sama, are you awake?" Nobara asked, leaning over her. Mikan gasped in surprise and sprung upright.

"Nobara-chan?" She was confused when the girl's name instantly clicked in her head. She took notice of her surroundings for the first time. She was laying in the grandest bed she had ever seen. It was bigger than a king-sized bed and elegant in its simplicity. There was a beautiful screen painting of falling petals from a sakura tree behind the bed. The sides of the room were decorated with a wooden sitting table, potted bonsai trees, hanging paper lanterns with candles, and even a stone garden. White light poured in from the windows and Mikan could have sworn she was looking at Mount Fuji.

"Ch-chan? I am Nobara-chan?" Nobara blushed brightly, holding her flushed cheeks and doing a strange dance. Mikan sweatdropped at the sight and chuckled awkwardly.

"Ano, Nobara-chan, where are we?" She asked when she had the girl's attention.

"We are in the Igarashi Palace in Alice Kingdom, Mikan-sama."

"Alice Kingdom? Are we still in Japan?" Mikan asked, alarmed. She had never heard of an Alice Kingdom before.

"We are and are not in Japan, Mikan-sama." Nobara giggled knowingly. Mikan was dumbfounded. Nobara-chan smiled kindly and explained, "Alice Kingdom is a dynasty that fell over a thousand years ago in Feudal Japan; however, the palace and all its furnishings have been preserved in the Magic Realm."

"Huh?" Mikan asked, blankly once more.

"The Magic Realm, Princess. The source of yours and Koizumi-sama's powers stem from this realm." Nobara-chan responded patiently. That caught Mikan's attention. Memories began flooding back into her mind. Jii-chan was killed by Luna. Luna used some strange power to throw Mikan around like a rag doll. She even summoned a monster to hunt the teen down. Mikan then stared down at her hands; she was sure that that golden light had emerged from her hands.

Suddenly, Nobara-chan's words took on a whole new meaning. Apparently, she had magic, and so did Luna Koizumi. Luna Koizumi wanted revenge. Killing Mikan was too easy, so she kept her alive for some reason. Mikan felt the blood drain from her face. _Oh my gosh, she tried to kill me_, the realization hit her suddenly. She wanted Mikan dead. Why?

"Nobara-chan, I need you to tell me everything. Who are you? Why are you calling me Princess and why does Luna want revenge from me?" Mikan asked in tone uncharacteristic of her normal bubbliness.

Nobara hesitated for a second. "I call you Princess because in your previous life, you were the Princess, and later Queen, of Alice Kingdom; as well as the high sorceress of the Magic Realm. Luna-sama, like yourself, is a sorceress. While Mikan-sama's magic is as natural as breathing air, Luna-sama spent her life training with priests in the mountains to become high sorceress of the Magic Realm. However, the Magic Realm rejected her and chose Mikan-sama instead.

"Luna-sama was enraged. She formed an alliance with the lord of the Demon Realm, Kunoji-sama, and he allowed Luna-sama to control the demons living in Japan. _Demo-ne_, I heard that your feud ended in that dynasty when Mikan-sama sealed away the monsters plaguing Japan. But it would seem that was not so." Nobara frowned.

Mikan's head spun with the influx of information. Her first instinct was to reject everything and write it off as some fictional tale. Yet, there was the undeniable evidence that Luna wanted her dead and she also managed to summon a demon to kill Mikan. Even now, here she was in Igarashi Palace sitting in a bed fit for a king.

"And you said I was also the Queen of Alice Kingdom?" This part confused her the most. Her, Mikan Sakura, a queen? It was unthinkable.

"_Ie, ie_." Nobara-chan giggled. "At the time, Mikan-sama was a servant. Your duty was to protect the Hyuuga heir from the demons. You fell in love and married once the threat of demons was removed from the kingdom." She finished with a dreamy look in her eyes. Mikan's heart skipped a beat.

"N-natsume Hyuuga?" She whispered, hopefully.

"_Hai._" The silver-blue haired girl giggled. If she thought her head was spinning before, now there was a cyclone in her mind. Nobara, seeming to sense Mikan's distress, placed a comforting hand over Mikan's. "I know it's a lot to take in Mikan-sama. Please rest, and when you are feeling better, I will bring Anna-chan and Nonoko-chan to fill in the details." With that, Nobara left Mikan to rest. Mikan didn't even think to ask who Anna and Nonoko were. Everything just seemed so unbelievable.

Seeing as she wasn't going to get any answers laying around, Mikan decided to explore the castle. She vaguely noticed the traditional Japanese style lanterns, flower displays, and candles that seemed to dominate the interior of the palace. The color ruby red was omnipresent. It reminded Mikan of Natsume's eyes.

Mikan cringed when her heart clenched painfully in her chest. The beauty of the castle blurred to her eyes. She felt alone. So alone. Mikan wrapped her arms around her torso. _Hold yourself together Sakura,_ she mentally berated. Strangely, she couldn't feel any physical pain. Her wounds seemed to magically vanish. They were the least of her concern at the moment. Though she wanted to believe Nobara-chan, it all seemed like a fairy tale.

"Mikan-sama? Are you alright, hime?" A man's voice invaded her solitude. Mikan looked up with a gasp, there was a beautiful man with emerald green eyes and corn-silk yellow hair that swept back into a ponytail. He was dressed in a traditional navy blue kimono with a katana strapped to his waist. "Forgive me for startling you, I am Shuuichi Sakurano. I was Mikan-sama's war councilor during her reign." He introduced with a deep, respectful bow. Mikan flushed.

"S-sakurano-san, you don't have to bow to me." She replied out of habit and bowed in response. Sakurano smiled politely.

"I am aware the times have changed your highness, but it has been and always will be, my greatest honor to serve you, Princess." This time his bow was more marginal, but he placed his right hand over his chest in salutation. Mikan smiled weakly. Sakurano-san then handed her a handkerchief, which Mikan took gratefully. "Might I inquire what troubles the princess's heart?"

Mikan hesitated a moment. "It's Natsume."

"Natsume Hyuuga-sama? You are already acquainted in the human world?" Sakurano-san asked in surprise.

"Hai, we grew up together. We were best friends." She whispered.

"Were?" The blonde man asked her gently. Mikan chewed on her lower lip.

"I told him I loved him and he said I was confusing idolization for f-feelings." She choked and covered her face in her hands. "He threw my love away." A sob bubbled up her throat and she didn't have the strength to hold back any more.

She allowed herself to really cry for the first time. For Natsume throwing her aside. For Luna torturing Jii-chan and killing him. For the fear that she would be hunted by those demons and monsters for as long as she lived. But mostly, she cried because she had never felt so alone in her life.

Sakurano-san politely let her cry in his arms. He soothingly patted her head and kept one arm around her waist. She felt like a child in his large embrace, but there was something comforting and brotherly about Sakurano-san. She didn't feel the need to hold back in front of him.

"Come with me, Princess." Sakurano-san said some few minutes later. Mikan followed shakily, letting Sakurano-san guide her by the hand. He took her through several halls until they reached a wide door spanning almost 6ft in width and 12ft in height. It was ornately decorated in white quartz and jade stones, spiraling and intervening in archaic patterns. They entered a great ball room lined with a wall of windows. The ceiling was high with large hanging chandeliers and the floor was made of beautiful stone marble.

"We have made upgrades to the palace to keep up with the times but certain parts of Igarashi Palace remain unchanged." Sakurano-san said, pointing to the front of the hall where a pastel painting covered most of the wall.

There were five figures in the painting. Standing in the back was a couple wearing matching dark navy-blue kimonos with golden embroidery. The woman had purple-blue orchids painted on her kimono that matched the color of her eyes. The man with his hair piled in a bun smiled a gentle closed-eyed smile toward the woman. Mikan recognized the couple as Ioran Hyuuga and Kaoru Hyuuga.

Next, was her and Natsume. The Mikan in the painting wore a pale pink kimono with a dark red obi and sakura pattern embroidery. Her hair was left long with pink-red flowers pins. Painting Natsume wore a dashing deep-red, almost maroon kimono with a black obi and a sword strapped at his waist. His eyes glimmered crimson-red, deep and endlessly, like a pair of rubies. And he was smiling. Not smirking, but actually smiling.

Lastly, there was a small boy with silver-blue eyes and light brown hair. She knew, without a doubt in her mind, that was their son. Mikan's fingers brushed over the boy's face.

**FLASHBACK**

"_Mikan, sweetheart, you must wake up! You'll be late for your first day working in the Palace!" Yuka Yukihara shouted through thin paper doors. Mikan Yukihara, peacefully asleep on her futon groaned and rolled over, clearly ignoring her mother. The door then slid open with a bang and Yuka hung over her daughter threateningly. "NOW MIKAN!" The woman cried._

_Mikan pouted but dutifully rose. Her mom grinned, pleased with herself and kissed her daughter's forehead. "There, now go get ready. I expect you to be on your best behavior." Yuka warns sternly, though the effect is dulled by her mother's soft, delicate voice, then she left in a whirlwind of hurry. Mikan blinked after her mother. Then she saw her father, Izumi Yukihara poke in with an apologetic smile._

"_Sorry sweetheart, just try to cut your mother some slack today, okay?" Izumi patted Mikan's head. Mikan giggled and threw her arms around her father._

"_Hai, tousan!" She said sweetly and let her father crush her in a hug. She loved both her parents to death, but she was definitely her father's daughter. "Good, now get ready, and remember Mikan, you must NEVER let anyone see you doing magic." Then Izumi left her too. Mikan sighed and fell back into her bed tiredly._

_The year was 1006 A.D, and Japan was infested with demons from the Demon Realm. The gate to the Demon Realm was the weakest in Alice Kingdom so the city was always under the constant threat of an attack. But Alice Kingdom was known throughout Japan for its exceptionally strong knights who were born and bred to hunt demons and protect the kingdom. The Royal Family, the Hyuuga men, were especially known for their mastery of swordsmanship and for owning many thousands of named swords. Swords that were bestowed with a name were usually swords that carried a great history of victory and chivalrous feats. These swords were blessed and the wielder had a special affinity for slaying demons._

_Because of the supernatural qualities of these demons, the people of Alice Kingdom nursed a strong fear of magic. Magic wasn't necessarily evil, but sorcerers and sorceresses of this time were forced to practice in secret. For Mikan, practicing was never really an option. She had magic for as long as she could remember. Her mother told her that as a baby, Mikan used to make objects come flying to her. She was exceptionally powerful as a child and even now she didn't have full control of her accidental magic. Eventually, their neighbors started to get suspicious and the entire Yukihara family was forced to relocate. They had settled into a small house next to the Igarashi Palace just a few days ago. Her parents were eager for a fresh start but still constantly cautioned Mikan from using her magic._

_Although she didn't like suppressing her magic, as it often felt like she was severing her own limbs, she wanted her parents to live a peaceful and happy life. She felt she owed them at least that much after all they had sacrificed to keep her hidden from wrongdoers. From the moment she set foot in Alice Kingdom, Mikan had resolved to never use her magic again. Today was day seven of her self-inflicted moratorium._

"_Today's not going to end any faster if you don't get up, Mikan." Mikan said to herself, trying to get hyped for work. She shook her head at the silliness and finally got out of bed._

* * *

"_Yuka-san, we are always grateful to new servants entering our service. I know you'll make a wonderful personal maidservant to me," Kaoru Hyuuga the Queen of Alice Kingdom explained in her smooth diplomatic voice. She had a powerful presence even as she sat relaxed in the grand throne room. The throne beside her was empty; the King was currently attending a council meeting. Mikan and her mother were presently in an audience with the Queen and she was personally assigning them their roles in the royal household. Mikan couldn't help but fidget under Kaoru Hyuuga's gaze. It was piercing, like she could see the truth through the thickest of facades. The Queen's eyes were now turned to Mikan._

_Mikan gulped; her mother nudged her to step forward and she did so with great trepidation._

"_Mikan-chan, I am sure you are a strong and energetic young woman; therefore, I am deeply regretful that presently, the only position we have available is in the stables." Kaoru Joo-sama informed, sounding genuinely upset. The idea of working in the stables made Mikan cringe as well. "I am sorry child, I hope that you can adjust for now until we find you another position."_

_Although stable work really sounded, well, disgusting, Mikan felt humbled that the queen would be so considerate. She instantly took a liking to Kaoru Joo-sama and decided that she would do anything for such a kind queen._

"_Thank you for your consideration, Joo-sama, but I am happily ready to serve the royal family as needed." Mikan responded with a bright grin on her face, feeling her heart warming even as she spoke. Her mom coughed beside her, and Mikan realized that she was looking directly at the queen in the eyes. She flushed and quickly bowed. Yuka was NOT going to be happy with her later. Thankfully, Kaoru Joo-sama laughed it off._

"_Oh, it certainly is refreshing to meet such a spunky young woman. I wish you luck in your work Mikan-chan." And then as a side note, the queen added, "I would suggest you borrow trousers for the job."_

_Mikan left the throne room feeling rather pleased with herself and delighted to be working under Kaoru Joo-sama._

* * *

_Luckily, her father had an extra set of trousers and tunic for her to wear. He also gave her a hat to put her long, waist length hair into while she worked. She walked towards the stables with a pleased smile. The idea of mucking horse crap would not stop Mikan Yukihara from enjoying her day. Unfortunately for her, Fate had other plans. She ran head first into a stranger._

"_Itae!" Mikan whined, holding her head. It was still ringing from walking into the man's armor. She quickly bowed in apology. "I'm sor-"_

"_Watch where you're going!" The man snarled at her. Mikan felt taken aback. Rude much? She was trying to apologize here! Mikan noticed the man's face for the first time. He had raven locks of hair and the reddest eyes that Mikan had ever seen in her life. And he was tall, he towered an entire head above her. He looked kind of familiar. Right now, her irritation was trumping her curiosity._

"_Why don't you watch where you're going?" She snapped back at him hotly. The man raised an eyebrow._

"_Do you even know who you're talking to?" He scoffed. This made Mikan really tick._

"_Yeah, an arrogant, perverted fox!" She snapped heatedly. Just then, another blond haired man, similarly dressed in chainmail, with sea blue eyes appeared beside her raven-haired stranger._

"_Natsume, is something wrong?" The blond stranger asked the man, now identified as Natsume. Natsume glared at her._

"_Just an idiotic peasant. Let's go, Ruka." Natsume said to the blond man. Mikan flushed angrily and stepped between Natsume and Ruka._

"_You don't even know me!" She hissed. Natsume's eyes narrowed at her._

"_And apparently, neither do you."_

"_It's not like you're the king." It was Mikan's turn to scoff. Her short victory was quickly crushed by the smirk that formed on Natsume's face._

"_No, but I am his son."_

* * *

**Wohoo! Flashbacks! The next few chapters will reveal how Natsume and Mikan's past lives. Just a warning, their story will go by really fast. TBH, I could have written an entire story on their past life alone (or their childhood growing up). Why is there SO MUCH backstory? **

**If their past life sounds a lot like BBC Merlin, that's because it is! Merlin was the inspiration for a lot of the magical elements of this story. More on that later. This is NOT a crossover btw.**

**Review please!**

**Kiki1770**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, some notes about the ****world-building** **in this story. A lot has changed since I wrote the first 5 chapters. **

**Fencing→ Kendo. I wrote Mikan's and Natsume's childhood really FAST. Like in one sitting. I used fencing to describe the sword art Natsume practiced. I will edit this out in later chapters, but KENDO is the sword art that Natsume and Co practice in this story. Sword and Katana will be used interchangeably and will refer to the same Japanese style of swords. Not to be confused with the broadswords and shield style of fighting in Medieval times. **

**Legal Age: 17. For the purpose of my story, the legal age of adulthood, drinking, smoking, voting, and owning property etc is 17 in this world. **

**Alice Kingdom is a mix of western and eastern fantasy setting. This is seen most obviously in the clothing, architecture, and livestock. The King and Queen are addressed as Ou-sama and Joo-sama, but the Prince is addressed as Prince, unless he's being teased and Ouji-sama is more of a pet name in this world. Knights are addressed with -sama not Sir or Lord. As for the armor style, you are welcome to imagine either western or eastern. I'll leave this ambiguous.**

**Remember this chapter is still in Flashback mode.**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Mikan hid in the stables, dutifully mucking horse crap and attempting to cover her face behind her hat. She had never felt so embarrassed and terrified in her life. She just called Prince Natsume Hyuuga an "arrogant, perverted fox." There was no way she wasn't going to get fired, or worse, arrested. Maybe if she kept her head down, he'd forget about her.

"Hey, idiot peasant, prepare two horses for me and Ruka." The Prince's voice shattered any hope of her coming out of this occasion alive. She gulped, stepped out of her hiding spot, and held her head high with what remained of her dignity.

"Yes sire." She replied through gritted teeth. Natsume snickered at her.

"What? No 'do it yourself, you perverted fox!'" Natsume mimicked her high-pitched voice. Mikan cringed. He looked like he was enjoying himself. "I must say, I've never been called perverted by a man before." He chuckled to himself. Mikan gaped. Did Natsume just call her a man?

"Come on Natsume, the boy didn't know who you were." Ruka tried placating the prince. Even this Ruka fellow thought Mikan was a man! Well, who was she to correct the arrogant prince?

"So, you have been called a pervert before, Sire?" She couldn't help sneer a little. She even deepened her voice for the effect. Natsume abruptly stopped laughing and glared.

"Just prepare the damn horses." He snapped and left dragging Ruka in tow. Mikan smirked victoriously when the prince disappeared out of sight. As she was strapping the horse with a saddle, a loud **CRASH** sounded from the forge. There were also panicked cries. Mikan ran out of the stables to see what the commotion was about.

The blacksmith's forge had a stall out front to display the weapons. The stall, held up stone pillars, had collapsed on him. There were only servants in the vicinity. Mikan watched in horror as they could barely lift the stones off the man. "Use your magic. He needs your help," a small voice whispered in her mind. Mikan's fists curled into her tunic. She couldn't. She swore she'd never use magic again.

"Ruka!" Natsume called. They both rushed to the scene and Ruka knew just what to do. He yanked a long wooden beam out from the forge and Natsume grabbed the other end. They placed the beam under the slab of stone over the man and began pushing down with all their strength. Both Natsume and Ruka's faces turned red from the effort, and she could visibly see the veins bulging on Natsume's head.

Mikan didn't know what possessed her to sprint across to Natsume and Ruka, but she did. She grabbed the beam behind Ruka and pushed with all her strength. The two men spared her a quick glance but were distracted by the man's groans of pain. Soon, the other servants began grabbing beams to use as leverage. It took two beams, two knights, four servants, and Mikan to lift the stone slabs.

Natsume quickly pulled the panicking man out. He ordered one of the servants to tell the physician to prepare him a bed. She then watched in fascination as Natsume murmured soothing words to the man and examined his leg. He then tore the end of his cape off and began tying it around the man's bleeding leg. Together, with the help of another knight, Natsume carried the injured blacksmith into the palace. Mikan could only watch in surprise. She felt someone tap on her shoulder. It was Ruka-sama.

"I err wanted to apologize to you for the Prince's behavior earlier. He's not an early riser." Ruka explained sheepishly. "And I also wanted to thank you for your help just now—uhh." He froze, realizing he didn't know Mikan's name.

"Yukihara." Mikan blurted without thinking. Crap...why did she use her surname?

"Thank you, Yukihara-san." Ruka nodded politely and chased after the prince. Mikan watched him leave in awe.

* * *

That night at the Igarashi Palace, the royal family was holding a banquet in honor of Prince Natsume's eighteenth birthday. Ioran Ou-sama cleared his throat and raised his sakazuki cup, the chatter in the ballroom immediately quieted down.

"I would like to propose this toast to my son, Natsume Hyuuga, on the eve of his eighteenth birthday." The king said, addressing the court. He then turned to Natsume and with a fond gaze he spoke directly to his son. "Natsume, no father could be more proud than I am tonight. In my lifetime, I have trained thousands upon thousands of knights, but none have endeavored to show the raw talent, the brute strength, the cunning thought, and chivalrous spirit that you possess, my son." Ioran Ou-sama then turned back to the court, and raised his sake cup higher, signalling for all others to follow him. "To my son, the bravest and brightest knight in all of Alice Kingdom."

"To Prince Natsume!" The court echoed back at him. Mikan watched the spectacle with a tiny smile on her face. The prince was flustered, his face even turned red. It was Mikan's first time witnessing a royal banquet. The noble men and the noble women of the court were all dressed in their finest clothes. The younger men wore trousers and tunics with embroidered jackets, while the ladies wore long flowing dresses. The older men and women wore kimonos. There was more food on the tables than Mikan had ever seen in her short seventeen years of life. She felt so underdressed in her father's tunic and trousers.

When the chattered died again, the king continued. "Natsume, my son, it gives me the greatest pleasure to present you with this sword as your birthday present." At his word, seven servants passed a sword encased in a studded holster to the king to present to Natsume. Natsume rose to his feet in surprise. "I give you...**Hiryu**—the fire dragon." Gasps rose from the spectators as the majestic sword was unveiled.

**BOOM! **A sudden crash interrupted the ceremony. The shattered windows rained down glass shrapnel on the guests. A giant lizard demon slithered down the walls and crawled menacingly to the center of the banquet hall. Mikan and many other guests took cover alongside the walls. Natsume wrenched **Hiryu** from his father's grasp and prepared to face the enormous creature. He only had Ruka and a knight she'd recently been acquainted with, Tsubasa Andou, at his side to help.

There was no way Natsume could defeat that thing by himself. Amidst all the panic and the battle, Mikan saw Kaoru Joo-sama looking right at her. It was as if the queen knew Mikan could help in some way. Panicked, Mikan quickly looked around for a way to help Prince Natsume.

Along the wall she was hugging were massive chains that lead directly to the large chandelier in the center of the ballroom. The chandelier was directly above the monster. She grabbed the chains and pulled with all her strength. It was no use. They were too heavy for her.

"Magic, use your magic!" The voice pleaded again. She realized with a startle, that voice was hers. She was pleading with herself to use magic again. Mikan swore she wouldn't, but one look at Prince Natsume's face and she was able to throw all doubts out of the window. Mikan stepped back and took a shaky breath. She held her palm out and felt the magic gather at her fingertips. It was instinctual. The power spread through her upper arms; Mikan grabbed the chains with both hands and pulled. There was a snap and the chandelier was loose.

The reaction was instantaneous. The chandelier slid free and crashed down hard on the lizard beast. Natsume didn't even bat an eye as he cleanly sliced the demon's head off without giving it a moment's pause. He then fell back breathlessly against Ruka and Tsubasa.

"Natsume, are you alright?" Ioran Ou-sama appeared beside his son and looked him over quickly. The nobles were just starting to get up and comprehend what had just happened.

"I'm fine, Father, if it hadn't been for that chandelier…" Natsume trailed off. Suddenly, Mikan felt all the eyes in the ballroom turn to her. She realized with a panic that she was still holding onto the chains. _Shimatta_…

"You there, servant, what is your name?" The king himself addressed her. Mikan froze. She just used magic. Did they see her? Did they know?

"His name is Yukihara, sire. I think he's new here." Ruka answered for her. The queen then appeared next Ioran Ou-sama and sent a knowing look in Mikan's direction.

"This is the child of your new head physician, Izumi-san, and my personal maid, Yuka-san." Kaoru Joo-sama supplied. Mikan gaped. She thought the queen would clear up the whole 'Mikan is actually a lady not a man' misunderstanding. The king looked at her thoughtfully.

"I see. Yukihara-kun you will be awarded for saving my son's life." The king announced.

"N-no, your highness. I d-didn't really—"

"No, don't be modest." The king cut her off. "You shall be made Prince Natsume's personal manservant."

"What?!" Mikan's and Natsume's eyes met; they both stared at the other in horror.

* * *

Mikan was summoned to the queen's private quarters immediately after the banquet. Izumi and Yuka were already inside waiting for her. Their eyes were glassed with concern, and Mikan began fearing the worst. Mikan halted in front of the queen's desk. An attendant was just finishing his report in hushed tones. Kaoru Joo-sama dismissed the man.

"I had a few personal servants examine those chains for me Yukihara-kun." The queen began. Mikan flushed at the sound of her alias. She couldn't tell if the queen was joking or seriously threatening her. "They've reported that those chains were much too heavy for any normal person to carry, let alone a young maiden." Her dagger sharp red eyes stared Mikan down.

Mikan swallowed nervously and looked to her parents. They were both hanging their heads in resignation, Izumi was holding Yuka's hand tightly. Mikan felt like crying. Her father and mother both loved their work here. Now because of her, _because she used magic_, they'd have to leave, again.

"I-I used magic your highness," she whispered softly, never feeling so ashamed as she did in that moment. She mentally prepared for the queen's order to arrest her.

"I suspected as much." Kaoru Joo-sama said instead. Both Mikan and her parents looked up in surprise.

"My lady?" Mikan asked, bewildered. The queen smiled at her kindly.

"My son may be the greatest swordsmen of his generation, but he is not invincible, Mikan-chan. I want you to stay by his side as his manservant and protect him." She explained simply. Mikan's jaw dropped.

"But my lady," Her mom interrupted, a worried expression adorning her face. "Mikan is a lady. The role of a manservant is done by a man." Her mother insisted.

"I am aware of that Yuka-san, but in the King's eyes, Mikan is man. To reveal that now would be an embarrassment to the royal family. Rather, I intend to use this misunderstanding to our advantage. As a man, Mikan can stay at Natsume's side at all times and protect him with her magic." The queen presented diplomatically.

She then turned to Mikan. "I saw what you did in there, Mikan-chan. Although I'm not too familiar with the craft, I know powerful magic when I see it. You managed to free that chain from the bolts without so much as a spell. Tell me how you did it. Did you enchant a spell in your mind?" Kaoru Joo-sama asked with increasing curiosity. Mikan hesitated.

"I-I don't know any spells, your highness. I've been able to use magic like that since before I could even walk." She answered honestly. The queen's eyes widened.

"A-amazing. Mikan-chan I believe you possess a gift."

"A gift my lady?" No one's ever called magic _a gift_.

"Yes child, I've never heard of a sorceress using magic without spells. Dear me, I think I might just be in the presence of the most powerful sorceress of our time." The queen whispered with a look of awe in her eyes. Mikan felt thoroughly embarrassed. She never saw herself as powerful. All she did with magic were some tricks here and there.

Kaoru Joo-sama was suddenly standing in front of Mikan and took the girl's hands into hers. Mikan's eyes widened. "Mikan-chan, promise me you will protect my son." Her dark, wine red eyes, so brilliant and enchanting, had Mikan under a spell. There was something about the queen's offer that just felt so...right. Finally, she found a purpose for her magic.

"Hai, Kaoru Joo-sama. I promise." Mikan answered unhesitatingly, and shared in the queen's ecstatic smile.

"Good girl. Here, this is a key to the restricted section of the royal library. The Hyuuga family has been storing books on magic for a time of need, and I want you to have it Mikan-chan." The queen handed her the key.

That night, Yuka and Izumi Yukihara declared that they were the proudest parents in the world and spoiled Mikan silly with hugs and kisses. She felt so happy. Her magic was not only accepted by the queen, but thanks to the royal, she now had a purpose for it— a purpose that her parents could be proud of.

It seemed like things couldn't get any better…until she remembered she would start serving Natsume as a man from tomorrow onwards. Oh fluff puffs, Mikan thought.

* * *

"Quit playing around, Yukihara! You're not even trying." The perverted fox prince taunted and swung his sword wide again. Mikan brought up her own in time to parry the blow and once again thanked kami-sama for her over-sized armor.

"Why can't —**clang**— you practice —**clang**— with dummies —**clang**— like the other knights!" She said in between blows. Natsume snickered at her efforts.

"Too boring. I prefer a moving target." He swung again and this time Mikan lost grip of her sword. Natsume took advantage of the moment and quickly kicked her in the stomach. Mikan let out a loud groan when she hit the ground on her back. "It's not really practice if the dummy sits around, Yukihara." Natsume tutted, mockingly.

"Yes, Sire…" Mikan moaned.

"What was that?"

"I said, I got it you perverted fox!"

Natsume just laughed and helped her to her feet. She spent the rest of the afternoon getting pummeled by Prince Natsume.

It all came down to a question of whether Natsume would give her the usual punishment of washing his horses and mucking the stables, or if he'd finally make good on his promise to cut her foot off (and replace the second left foot, of course). Oh well, it was for the prince's own good.

"Sorry, Natsume," Mikan whispered. The servant took several steps back and then ran forward and launched herself on the prince's bed.

"GYAH!" The prince cried, wide awake now. He looked around for the source of the sudden heaviness. "Yukihara?"

"Yo! Ohayo Natsume!" Mikan greeted cheekily. Natsume blinked. Then he noticed the sunlight pouring into his room, signalling it was mid-morning already.

"Yukihara, you-you-you—"

"Idiot," Mikan supplied helpfully.

"Right. YOU IDIOT!" Natsume screamed, throwing the servant off his bed. "You were supposed to wake me up at dawn! Does it look like dawn to you!"

"I tried, you were sleeping like a log." Mikan whined, passing the prince his clothes for the day. A boot flew from his changing screen.

"Shut it, you-you—"

"Imbecile?"

"_Imbecile_! Would it kill you to be on time for once?"

"I'm always on time. It takes an extra hour to wake you," She replied, matter-of-factly. Natsume emerged, dressed, and looking ready to kill (her).

"The next time you try crawling into my bed, I'll have you thrown in the stocks!" He threatened. Mikan, quite used to the threats already, nodded in agreement.

* * *

"Hoshio, Kokoro, take your men to the Eastern Woods. Kitasuneme, Yuu, you'll hold front on the Southern Woods. Mochiage, Hayate, you two are in charge of the Western Woods. Tonouchi, Shuuichi, and Hayami, I want you to take charge of the Northern Woods. Ruka, Tsubasa, and Sono, you three will remain in the Central Town with me. It's been a while since we've seen so many demons mobilize at once, men. Do not hesitate to kill anything that moves." The prince warned and dismissed his men. Natsume headed towards the stables with Mikan at his side. They were in a rush, so she finished putting Natsume's armor on in the stables.

As he was mounting his horse, Natsume stopped to give Mikan a sharp look. "Yukihara...you are quite possibly the worst manservant I've ever had. But I expect you to be alive when I return." He told her gruffly. Mikan's eyes widened. Was Natsume trying to say he cared? The opportunity was too good to resist.

"What are you talking about, Sire? I'm coming with you." She smiled brightly, completely disregarding the direness that Natsume had been building up. She mounted her own horse and expertly strapped the supplies to its rump. Natsume's jaw dropped, looking flabbergasted.

"What are you talking about?" She pulled ahead of him with a chuckle. "You could get killed, Yukihara." He warned, still perturbed by the idea.

"Careful, Prince Natsume, I might start thinking you actually care about idiotic servants." Mikan smirked. Yup, that was so worth it. Natsume shook his head and pulled his horse up next to her.

"If you die, I won't feel bad about replacing you." He deadpanned.

"Maybe your next manservant will be more competent." She shot back, enjoying their bickering. She knew Natsume did too because he was still smirking at her.

"Kami, I hope not. If he was anymore competent, I might actually start making my meetings on time." They both laughed at the one.

"Hey kiddo, when you're done with Yuki-chan can we borrow him?" Tsubasa Andou grinned as he rode up alongside Natsume and Mikan. Natsume narrowed his eyes.

"No, you may not 'borrow' Yukihara." The prince scoffed.

"Hey! Yuki-chan is our friend too, Oujou-chan!" Tsubasa teased. There were only three people allowed to get away with making fun of Natsume. One was Ruka, his best friend since childhood. The second was Tsubasa Andou, Natsume's second cousin and close friend. Lastly was Mikan, although she had no idea why Natsume let her talk to him like that. If she didn't know any better, she might have thought Natsume actually liked her.

When they reached the town center, Natsume ordered Mikan to take cover as far as possible from the battlefield. Kaname volunteered to guard her, for which Natsume was grateful, even though he'd never admit it. Kaname Sono was one of five people who knew Mikan's secrets. Both of them. Kaname found out quite literally by accident, but he accepted her gender and magic easily and swore to help her in any way he could. It wasn't until much later that Mikan discovered Kaname's potential for magic and that his parents had both been sorcerers. He soon became her best friend and closest confidant.

"Are you ready, Mikan-san?" The knight asked politely. Kaname was a gentleman through and through. It was one of her favorite qualities about him. Mikan nodded. She hid against a lone stone wall, left from the debris of the battle. Kaname covered her back with his sword while Mikan used magic to keep the other knights safe.

Her magic had grown tremendously in the past six months. But it couldn't prepare her for everything. Like right now. Natsume sliced the head off a double-headed snake demon and turned his back on it. The creature's heads regenerated and opened its venomous fangs, poised to attack him.

"Natsume!" Mikan cried, she sprinted from her spot and tackled him to the ground.

"Yukihara? What the—" He didn't finish as the snake demon launched to strike him. Natsume spun them over so he was on top, and hurled his sword with power and precision. The sword cleanly pierced the creature's heart. It withered on the spot and died. Once Natsume was sure, he let Mikan stand up.

"You idiot!" He suddenly shouted. "What were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself killed!" Mikan pouted. Even if he was worried, he didn't have to yell like that!

"I was thinking someone had to save your royal backside!" She screamed back in his face and stormed away angrily. Natsume stared, stunned.

"Hey Yukihara!" Natsume shouted after her.

"What?" Mikan growled, not bothering to turn around.

"Thanks."

* * *

"Yukihara, clean my room. Polish my armor Yukihara, muck out the stables Yukihara." Mikan mimicked Natsume's voice as she angrily carried up the fifteenth bucket of hot water that afternoon since his royal pain-in-the-neck decided he wanted a bath instead of washing up with a bucket and rag like a normal person.

When she poured the final bucket into the tub in the center of his room, the relief was so overwhelming she thought she had died and gone to heaven. She was brought back to the mortal world when a very half-naked Natsume Hyuuga sauntered into his room. Mikan's jaw dropped. Even if she wanted to turn away, she couldn't stop staring.

"While I would normally appreciate being gawked at for my godly looks, it's disturbing coming from a man." Natsume gave her a pointed look. Mikan clamped her jaw shut and glared.

"Forgive me sire, I was simply trying to figure how all four of your stomachs fit in there." Mikan smirked, smugly.

"What exactly are you implying?" Natsume glared.

"Only that I've seen your godly appetite." Mikan answered nonchalantly and gestured for Natsume to get into the bath. If she provoked him enough, maybe she wouldn't have to stick around and watch him bathe, because as much as she didn't want to admit it, Natsume Hyuuga was quite possibly the most beautiful man she had ever seen.

"I'm not fat, Yukihara." Natsume deadpanned.

"Of course not, sire." She teased in a sing-song manner and hummed as she checked the water temperature. Perfect; then **SPLASH,** Mikan was pushed head first into the water. She came up sputtering and coughing.

"What was that for?" Mikan cried indignantly, she was sopping wet. And what was worse was that her hair was about to fall out of her hat! Natsume leaned in real close and told her,

"I figured it was a better alternative to arresting you." He mocked.

"For bruising your ego?" She shouted.

"For annoying me." Natsume smirked and walked away. Mikan's jaw dropped.

"W-what about your bath?"

"I'll have it tomorrow." Natsume called, distantly. Mikan sunk into the water and screamed.

* * *

If there's one thing Mikan learned about Natsume in these past nine months, it's that Natsume was ridiculously reckless when it came to protecting his people. While it was one of the things she admired the most about Natsume, it also meant a lot of close calls with death, and watching Natsume teeter on that precarious line one too many times.

Mikan was adept at nature manipulation, brute attacks, and glamour and transportation spells but she was **atrocious** at healing spells. That was when she sought out Serina Yamada, a respected healer and a rumored (and proven) seer in Alice Kingdom. It was a welcome surprise that Serina-sensei had knowledge about healing magic even though she didn't have much of a talent for magic herself.

"Konban-wa, Mikan-chan." Serina-sensei greeted the lethargic manservant-secret-sorceress.

"Konban-wa Sensei, your message sounded urgent. Is something the matter?"

"Hmm, I had a vision last night. There's a sorceress who's come from the great white mountains. She goes by the name Luna Koizumi. Last night, Koizumi-san entered the Northern Woods to present herself at the gateway of the Magic Realm in hopes of becoming a high sorceress. I saw her being rejected by the gate, Mikan-chan." Serenia-sensei informed the young sorceress. Mikan blinked.

"Why is this so important, Sensei?" She asked. Serina-sensei turned grim.

"She's not to be underestimated, Mikan-chan. If I had not met you, she'd be the most powerful sorceress I would have ever come across. Also, I'm afraid she did not take the rejection well. Her ambition is power and recognition. If the Magic Realm rejected her, then what would be the next target?" Sensei asked in that knowing tone she only used when she was testing Mikan.

"The Human Realm. Alice Kingdom." Mikan answered, it only took a second for it to click. As if she needed something else to protect Natsume from. Lately, the disturbances from the Demon Realm have been increasing as well. Mikan couldn't help but wonder if there was a connection.

"Mikan-chan, there is something I'd like you to do." Serina-sensei announced, pulling Mikan out of her thoughts. "Do you know how one becomes a high sorceress of the Magic Realm?" Mikan shook her head while Serina-sensei produced what looked like a simple vial of water. "To the common eyes this nothing but a vial of water from the Northern Woods, but for a sorceress, when she runs her magic through this water, it will either accept or reject her as high sorceress."

"How many high sorceresses are there?" Mikan asked curiously to which Serina-sensei smiled mysteriously.

"None. The Magic Realm has yet to choose its heir." She revealed as simply as if she was predicting the weather. Mikan had a sinking feeling where this conversation was heading. "I want Mikan-chan to try it." Yup, her instincts were never wrong.

She could barely handle protecting Natsume, let alone becoming some high sorceress of the Magic Realm— that was assuming if she was accepted. The thought of getting rejected hurt too. It would prove that she wasn't good enough to protect the prince, and nothing could hurt her worse than that. If it wasn't for the expectant look in Serina-sensei's eyes, she would have flat out refused.

Sensei poured the water into a flat dish and held it expectantly. Mikan took a deep breath and steeled herself for whatever decision the Magic Realm made. She let the magic gather at her fingertips; it felt like a warm breath of sunshine. She would never get tired of this feeling. Magic was the energy of life and Mikan couldn't imagine living without that constant thrum of warmth she felt under her skin. While these thoughts were running through Mikan's head, she noticed the water emitting an ethereal glow, and slowly, ever-so-slowly, her fingers began sinking into the water as if she was being drawn in.

Mikan gasped and recoiled from the water. However, the damage was already done, and Serina-sensei had seen it as well. The look in sensei's eyes quickly turned from curiosity to reverence. It was terrifying. So Mikan did something she swore she wouldn't do again— she ran away from magic.

**Since I'm familiar with Merlin, the progression of Mikan's and Natsume's relationship makes sense to me. Does it make sense to you? Let me know. ****Also, is anyone interested in Beta-ing this story?**

**And, yes, Natsume's range of insulting vocabulary is limited Idiot. Probably because he's always _flustered_ around a certain idiot. **


	5. Chapter 5

**NOTE: In honor of how much I'm borrowing (ahem**_**stealing**_**ahem) from Merlin, all magic spells in this fic will be in Old English. There will be a translation and the episode each spell was taken from at the bottom.**

**Remember, we are still in flashback here!**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Deep in the Northern Woods.

Luna Koizumi stared at the gateway between the Magic Realm and the Human with contempt. She trained all her life in the isolated, cold Fuji Mountains to prepare to rule the Magic Realm one day— only to be rejected. _Fine_, she thought, _if I can't rule the Magic Realm, there are plenty of ways to gain power in the Human Realm_. Alice was so calm and peaceful, it was sickening. The people of Alice Kingdom had been coddled for too long, Luna decided.

Just as her mind began forming plans for usurpation, she noticed a strange glow in the lake. As if all the murkiness had melted away, the lake turned crystal clear. Luna could peer into the water and glimpse at the palaces and treasures that the magical folk basked in; the mountains of wealth that should have been hers. Then she saw the mirage of a young servant girl with long dark brown hair with a stupid-looking face and dumb expression of awe. Luna immediately realized what was going on. The Magic Realm was accepting that servant girl as heir.

"No!" Luna cried. Power burst free from the sorceress and threw the calm waters into a tumult. Then something curious happened. The glowing ceased and every ounce of magic she put in the water was reflected back at her. Luna was thrown deep into the woods by the force of her own magic. She landed on a patch of fallen leaves and numbly rolled up.

"You can't do this to me!" She cried out to the skies. "I was destined to be QUEEN!" She screeched and raged at the innocent trees around her. When she finally cooled down her eyes turned towards Alice Kingdom. "I will become Queen."

* * *

Today, Natsume had given Mikan the day off. Since her father was busy doing research in the house, Mikan spent the day with Yuka and Kaoru Joo-sama. Apparently, Kaoru Joo-sama and her mother were on first name basis now. She watched the two interact and swore the two acted like childhood friends. She was happy for Yuka. She didn't have an arrogant young Prince to deal with.

Currently, Kaoru Joo-sama was hearing out the complaints and ailments of the villagers. It was in these moments that Mikan thought if she were ever to become a queen, she'd want to be just like Kaoru Joo-sama. Then she blushed, realizing that meant marrying Natsume. Lately, the idea didn't sound so bad. Mikan giggled mentally at the thought.

The next villager was a bit strange. It was a woman dressed entirely in a black coat. It was thick like she had come from the far north. What was strangest of all, was that she wore a hood to conceal her face. As if sensing Mikan's thoughts, the woman removed her hood.

"Your Majesty, my name is Luna Koizumi and I am the greatest sorceress to have hailed these times. I've come to offer my services to the crown." Mikan paled. It was just as Serina-sensei predicted. Luna Koizumi had come to Alice Kingdom. Mikan tried sending warning signals to the queen, but Kaoru Joo-sama's eyes were on Luna.

"Koizumi-san, I can see that you are not from these parts. Tell me, do you know how my people feel towards magic?" The queen inquired composedly. Luna frowned.

"How could they feel anything but reverent? Magic is power, it is might! Commoners should bow before it, much like the crown." Luna answered resolutely. _Wrong, wrong, wrong, her words are all wrong_, Mikan thought. Magic was life itself. It was a majestic force of nature. Magic, not the one who used it, was meant to be respected just as the Earth and Skies were respected for bringing the crops and the rain.

"I see. Shall we ask these villagers how they feel? Go ahead, you needn't be frightened to express your opinions." Kaoru Joo-sama encouraged. She had a special connection with the villagers of Alice, one based on mutual respect.

A brave farmer stepped up first. "Our world has enough evil in it without adding magic to it, your highness. There's no room for magic in Alice Kingdom." Three women cringed in hearing that opinion. The villagers all piped up in agreement and began chanting, "No Room for Magic. No Room for Magic. No Room for Magic."

The queen held her hand up and the villagers silenced immediately. "There, as you can see, there is no room for Magic in Alice." Kaoru Joo-sama answered monotonously. Luna Koizumi turned red in humiliation and turned to storm out of the throne room.

"You'll regret this." Luna snarled and left. Mikan turned to Kaoru Joo-sama pleadingly. "Go," the queen mouthed to her. She bowed and ran after Luna.

"Luna! Luna Koizumi!" She yelled across the halls. She caught Luna in a secluded part of the castle, just before the exit.

"What do you want peasant?" The sorceress snarled at her. Mikan halted and stared back at her defiantly. This seemed to surprise Luna, as if the idea of a normal human standing up to her was unfathomable. Mikan pulled her hat off. Her hair tumbled past her shoulder and hung freely at her waist. Luna's eyes widened in recognition.

"I'm Mi-"

"I know who you are, servant girl!" Luna snapped and stalked forward threateningly. "I know the Magic Realm will never accept me as its queen, but I'll be damned before I let you take the Human Realm from me as well."

Though she was surprised, Mikan didn't show it. "I won't let you do that. Alice Kingdom is under my protection. I will never let you take my home."

"How cute." Luna sneered. "We shall see who the better sorceress is in the end. Prepare yourself servant girl." With that Luna Koizumi hissed a spell and disappeared in a whirlwind of dust and dirt. Mikan had to hand it to her. She sure knew how to make an exit.

* * *

Mikan found Natsume, deep in thought, staring aimlessly into the fire. He had isolated himself from the other knights. After the night they had, Mikan couldn't blame him. They received word of an attack in Eastern Woods and acted as quickly as they could, yet they were still too late. The entire village was leveled, nothing but carnage and destruction was left. The survivors were less than a hundred.

Mikan sat beside him. "You can't blame yourself Natsume. There wasn't anything you could have done." _Blame me;_ she wanted to tell him, _I should have sensed something._ Natsume stared back at her with dead eyes.

"They're my people. They depend on me for their protection and I let them down. How can it not be my fault?" Natsume replied gruffly, his voice thick with emotion. He ran his fingers through his hair and covered his face in frustration. Mikan was silent for a moment. If Natsume continued to shoulder the blame every time someone died in an attack, he was going to run himself into the ground. Mikan knew this. She needed Natsume to realize it somehow.

"Sitting here and brooding over it won't do those people justice Natsume."

"What would you know about it?" He snapped hotly. Mikan cringed. _Everything_, she wanted to say. Despite the queen allowing her to freely use magic to protect Natsume, she knew that other sorcerers and sorceress in Alice Kingdom were suffering from being deprived of that same freedom. Every time, she let the villagers continue to believe that magic was some evil, she was letting her own kind down. So everything. She knew how Natsume felt.

"Enough to say the moment you stop moving forward is the moment you've truly betrayed your people." She told him softly. Natsume stared back at her in wonder. Her eyes never left his, and as she watched the flames flickering and leaving glowing patterns on Natsume's clear, pale skin, she felt mesmerized. Natsume suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

"Err, Yukihara...your hand." He coughed gruffly.

"Hmm?" Mikan said distracted. She then noticed that her hand was on his knee. She removed it quickly and shrank back in mortification. "S-sorry sire."

"You're quite something." Natsume shook his head.

"Excuse me?"

"One moment you're hiding behind Kaname for protection, next you're jumping to my defense. And every time I start to believe you truly are an idiot— (Mikan glared at this)— you go and say something like this. You're a mystery Yukihara." Natsume murmured, then, seeming to realize how open he'd been with his _manservant_, Natsume quickly backtracked. "And the mystery is that even in a man's body, you're such a girl sometimes."

Mikan deadpanned, clearly not amused. Of course, the dense prince would ruin the moment by resorting to insults. She was used to Natsume calling her a girl and obviously she wasn't offended by it. Natsume cleared his throat a few times and then suddenly he smacked Mikan on the back.

"Well, thank you, I guess." He said still quite flushed. Mikan wondered if he realized he was still "patting" her back. It was starting to hurt. A lot.

"You're. Welcome. Sire." Mikan coughed in response. The night passed awkwardly but lighter than it had begun. That was enough for Mikan.

* * *

"NATSUME!" A cry echoed through the dense forest. A large wolf-demon snarled menacingly, fresh blood dripping from it's jaw, an unconscious man under its paw.

"**Acwele!**" Gold swirled in the sorceress's eyes and sent the wolf flying back into the foliage. It's neck collided with a trunk and snapped instantly. When the fire in Mikan's eyes died down, she quickly knelt down next to the prince. Peeling the armor off, she saw the full damage of the wolf's bite.

Choking back a sob, she went through the first aid training her father gave her. She had a poultice for cleaning the wound in her small medical bag. Natsume moaned in pain when the cold liquid entered his wounds.

"Just bear with it, you stupid fox prince." Mikan whimpered, her hand hovered over the broken tissue and exposed arteries. Gold filled her eyes again, "**Ahlúttre þá séocnes. Þurhhæle bræd**."

The Hyuuga Prince inhaled sharply and then...nothing. Nothing happened. The edges of the wounds even festered from the magical interference.

"No, no, no, no, no Natsume, open your eyes, please!" Mikan sobbed. It didn't work! Her magic didn't work! She wasn't strong enough to save him. "This can't happen! You can't di— sleep here, you perverted fox! I didn't even tell you— Natsume, oh kami, SOMEONE HELP ME!"

Amidst the sobs, the mountain side began to rumble. It trembled and shook as if it was a stone titan awakening from slumber. A boulder crumbled into dust, causing the sorceress to cover the prince with her body. From the cloud of dust, a head emerged and with it a deep, formidable voice:

"**Who dares to make such a ruckus in front of one's home.**" The creature hissed and smoke blew from it's nostrils. Ancient gold eyes stared down on Mikan. "**Humans. I should have known. Mannerless little creatures, they are**…"

"Y-you're a dragon…"Mikan breathed in awe, momentarily forgetting the injured man in her arms. "I thought they were extinct."

"**You're a human. I thought they were moronic.**" It mocked her. Mikan contemplated retorting, but the short staggering breaths against her neck reminded her of the injured prince, cradled against her chest.

"Help me. You're a creature of magic, right? Help me heal him!" Mikan begged. "I tried, but my spell wasn't strong enough...or maybe I'm not good enough to protect him. But I can't lose him, you have to help!"

"**I do not **_**have**_ **to do anything.**" The dragon roared furiously. "**Only the High Sorceress of the Magic Realm has any right to demand service of me. I do not bow to the whims of humans.**" Hot air fumed over the sorceress and the prince.

"Ryuu-san, I'm sorry, I really don't have time for civility. My friend is dying, please help me."

"**My name is Kumajirou, young one.**" The dragon, Kumajirou, examined her with an unreadable expression. "**This human man is important to you?**"

"More than my life," Mikan answered without missing a beat. Kumajirou continued with his pensive observation. Mikan made herself busy keeping pressure on Natsume's wound and measuring his heart rate while the dragon assessed her. _It's slower than it should be_, Mikan thought in alarm.

"**I sense a great power in you— the likes of which I have never seen before. And you have yet to reach your full potential...**" Kumajirou suddenly spoke. "**You intrigue me, young one. Just this once, I will make an exception.**"

"You'll help me?" She asked hopefully. Kumajirou nodded and gestured for the sorceress to come closer. He opened his jaw and a brilliant white-gold light washed over Mikan.

"**Do you understand, young sorceress?**"

"Yes…" Mikan breathed in awe. She looked at the dragon reverently once and then crouched down next to Natsume. Kumajirou gave her a spell, the most powerful healing spell she'd ever seen. Her hand hovered over his wound hesitantly. What if it still didn't work?

"**Have faith**."

"**Ic þe þurhhæle þin licsare mid þam sundorcræftas þære ealdaþ æ!**"The words slipped from her tongue instinctively, as if she was reciting from an inherent power. Warmth filled the forest floor and the debris from the rockslide quivered from the sheer magic in the woods. The deep bite marks on Natsume's shoulder began to repair; the blood flow ceased and little by little, the skin and tissues closed up, scarred, and then smoothed out as if the wound was never there to begin with.

"A-amazing," The sheer power was almost breathtaking. Mikan looked up at the dragon who was watching with a satisfied expression, and dare she say it, even pride. "_Arigatou, _Kuma-san."

The dragon only harrumphed in response, opened his wings, and took off in the sky. Mikan watched the magnificent creature soar through the air, humbled and then startled. The spell Kuma gave her was nothing short of miraculous and yet the creature claimed that Mikan had yet to reach her full potential. What was her full potential?

She looked down at the now healed prince and sighed.

"Now, how am I going to explain this to the stupid fox prince?"

* * *

"Prince Natsume, we have no doubts now, sire. The rumors that Luna Koizumi has joined hands with Lord Kunoji of the Demon World have proven true." The war councilor, Shuuichi Sakurano, reported back to Natsume grimly.

"As we speak, she marches for Igarashi Palace from the Southern Woods, your highness. Our man just reported a sighting, he estimates there are—" Ruka paused during his report. Natsume's eyes flared in his direction.

"How many Ruka?" He asked sharply.

"An army of 10,000 demons your highness. We have them outnumbered in weapons and men, but the strength is still 3 to 1 in their favor. It would take a miracle to..." Ruka trailed off, not needing to finish the rest of his sentence. The grim news stifled the spirits of the men. Though they were the finest trained knights in all of Alice Kingdom, no knight wanted to walk into a battle they were guaranteed to lose.

"Fighting an army three times stronger than our own with no guarantee of winning? Sounds like fun. Count me in." Kokoro Yome's sudden interjection disrupted the falling morale. Natsume actually chuckled and soon the knights joined in as well. Mikan swelled with pride. The men that Natsume trained were prepared for this ultimate moment of truth. Speaking of truth…

"Perhaps not a miracle. Perhaps what we really need… is some magic." Kaname suddenly suggested. The laughter ceased and the knights all looked at Kaname with gaped jaws. Natsume shot the blonde-haired knight a look that meant **explain **and Kaname did.

"They have a sorceress on their side, Sire. If we could fight fire with fire, we might have a chance of winning this." Kaname's eyes kept drifting to Mikan pointedly. Mikan panicked, Kaname was going to get her killed! Yet another part of her, a more rational side, told her that this was also **her** moment of truth. If she didn't tell him now, there was a chance she never would.

"From where in all of Alice Kingdom could we possibly get a sorcerer to fight on our side _now_?" Natsume shook his head, dismissing it as a fruitless idea.

"You already have one." Mikan spoke for the first time. All eyes fell on her and she fought the urge to shrink back. Natsume raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about, Yukihara?" He asked. Mikan, after taking a deep breath, smirked and gestured to herself.

"You're looking at your sorcerer."

"Really, you?" Natsume deadpanned and turned back to his men to plan a "real" strategy.

"**Cume thoden.**" Mikan murmured softly. A powerful whirlwind formed from seemingly nowhere, raising the knight's capes high above their heads. The gust swirled around them, with Mikan in the center, unaffected. She then released her fingers and the wind dispersed. Natsume kept his back to Mikan, but from the way he tensed she knew he believed her now. "I'm sorry I hid it from you Natsume, but I did it to protect you. I used my magic for you."

He didn't respond. The entire encampment fell silent. Mikan sighed. She knew Natsume would be upset. She had two years to tell him the truth but she kept her magic a secret anyway. He probably hated her.

"You can't forgive me, I know that. But at least, allow me to take care of Koizumi. Worry about your men Natsume— sorry, Prince Natsume." She bowed and dismissed herself. She wasn't going to stop protecting Natsume just because he'd come to hate her. No, he'd become far too important to her. As she left, two sets of footsteps followed her. It was Kaname and Sakurano.

"I'm with you, Mikan-san." Kaname nodded, his hand rested on the pommel of his sword, it was glowing softly. It was a spell Mikan had taught him when he first found out about her magic. She nodded her head in thanks and turned to Sakurano.

"Serina-sama asked me to pass this to you. I think I understand why now." Sakurano told her, a hint of reverence in his voice. He had the vial of water from the Northern Woods. Mikan grimaced. Well, it was only a matter of time. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself to take on the role of High Sorceress of the Magic Realm.

* * *

After Yukihara left, Prince Natsume was left frozen for a fraction of a second longer, when an urgent piece of information stole his attention away from his manservant.

"Prince Natsume!" A panicked knight hastily ran into the war chambers. He was red from exertion."Lord Kunoji is bringing a second army from the North! We're being attacked on two fronts!" The knight then passed out.

"Shit." Natsume cursed, punching his fist through two inches of pure birch wood table. The knights took a step back, not wanting to get caught in the prince's wrath. Natsume gritted his teeth. He could think about that lying-so-called-best-friend/manservant of his later.

"Kaname, Sakurano, follow Yukihara. Do whatever he needs and take some men with you." The two knights nodded in understanding, hurried to follow the sorcerer. "Bring him back alive!" Natsume called after them.

He then turned to the rest of his knights to revise their battle strategy. No one mentioned the incident that just took place and if the prince was slightly distracted, no one commented on it either.

"Hoshio, Tono, Kitsu, Hayami and Hayate, you five will go with Ruka to the South. Tsubasa, Koko, Yuu, Mochu, you four will accompany me to the North. Fight hard men! We will not let the demons take our kingdom today!" Natsume then raised **Hiryu** in the air. "For Alice Kingdom!" He initiated the battle cry.

"For Alice Kingdom!" His knights echoed back to him.

(Unbeknownst to Natsume, at that moment, he won the complete and utter devotion of his men for as long as they would continue to serve him. Yukihara was as special to the knights of Alice Kingdom as he was to Prince Natsume Hyuuga. Yukihara was the physician's son. With all the injuries the knights accumulated in the past two years, they'd come to enjoy Yukihara's cheerful personality and being spoiled with his stew when they were confined to the infirmary beds.

The knights weren't exactly blind to the prince's special friendship with the servant either; unorthodox as their relationship may be, they agreed that Natsume was a better man since Yukihara came into his life. So for their prince and his faithful manservant, the knights of Alice Kingdom were more than prepared to lay their lives down in battle.)

Meanwhile, Prince Natsume was preparing himself to battle with Lord Kunoji. It was an inevitable battle that he'd seen coming for many years now; Kunoji had, for reasons unknown, targeted the Hyuuga heir from the moment he was born. Natsume had known for some time now, the recent increase in demon attacks was Lord Kunoji's way of saying "I'm still here and I will kill you someday soon." Whatever Kunoji's reasons were, today was the day that Natsume would avenge the people of the Eastern Woods.

* * *

**Kumajirou the dragon is actually Mr. Bear. But it's weird to use Mr. Bear in this fantasy world so Mikan calls him Kuma-san. **

**All spells and translations are taken from Merlin Wiki.**

**Acwele**_**: **_translates to destroy or kill. Used in S01 E07 The Gates of Avalon & E11 To Kill The King.

**Ahlúttre þá séocnes. Þurhhæle bræd: **translates to cleanse the sickness, heal thoroughly the flesh. Used in S02 E13 The Last Dragon Lord.

**Ic þe þurhhæle þin licsare mid þam sundorcræftas þære ealdaþ æ:** translates to I heal you thoroughly from your mortal wound with those special powers that are ancient. Used in S03 E05 The Crystal Cave and S05 E07 A Lesson in Vengeance.

**Cume thoden:** translates to come whirlwind. Used in S01 E10 The Moment of Truth.

**Okay, I swear it's a complete coincidence that the last spell is used in Mikan's moment of truth is also from the episode titles The Moment of Truth. I picked the spell after I already wrote the scene haha!**

**Follow me on Twitter at kiki1770 or on Instagram a_kiki1770!**

**Kiki1770**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm so sorry for how late this chapter is. Life stuff happened and then my country, like many others, entered a state of emergency due to the Coronavirus Outbreak. I've been staying home, indoors, and out of the public space. Actually, even before all this, I was job hunting which was occupying much of my time. Now that we're under quarantine (and the economy really isn't in a position to make new hires sigh) I'm slowly getting back into this story.**

**This chapter fought against being edited. I have a feeling chapter 7 will be the same. My new update schedule will be once a week, every Monday until the release of chapter 10.**

**Chapter 6**

In the Southern Woods, Mikan, Ruka, Kaname, Sakurano, and the knights were locked in battle with Luna Koizumi's demon force. Before the battle began, Mikan asked Ruka to order the men to produce their swords. She then went through the painstaking and arduous task of blessing their swords. It wasn't the same as naming, but it was still slightly more advantageous.

Luna made herself apparent from the first attack. She made no pretense of fighting behind her demons. Her aim was Mikan and Mikan alone. She unleashed a fire-spitting falcon demon on Mikan. Mikan knew that she'd be at a disadvantage on the ground so using her newfound powers as High Sorceress she summoned an old friend.

The dragon descended on the battlefield like a fallen titan.

"I was right to expect greatness from you, young sorceress. I am yours to command." The great dragon bowed humbly.

Mikan smiled. "Thank you for having faith in me." Kuma lowered his head so Mikan could stroke his snout. Deep golden eyes bored into hers and she felt the bond between them. "Will you fight with me?"

"It will be my pleasure." Just like that, the dragon took off to the skies and proceeded to dominate all aerial attacks.

The battlefield was wrought with the magical backlash from both sorceresses' spells. Luna favored elemental spells and this worked just fine for Mikan who countered every fire spell with wind, every water spell with earth. Mikan could tell Luna was getting frustrated by her rebutting spells, but she never expected Luna to go after Ruka, who was covering her back.

Panicked, Mikan focused her magic skyward "**cume heofonfýr, oferswing**" and, in the span of three seconds, day became night as the sky filled with ominous black clouds. A lightning typhoon cracked down from the skies and obliterated demons by the thousands.

"YOUR BATTLE IS WITH ME KOIZUMI!" Mikan warned, protectively throwing her arms in front of the blonde knight. Ruka, momentarily stunned by the display of power, was quick to call his men to retreat. It seemed Mikan didn't really need all their help. She was a one woman army of her own.

* * *

In the Northern Woods, Natsume was locked in battle with Kunoji's soldier, Hijiri Goshima. Goshima was an extraordinary swordsman, unfortunately for him, Natsume was better. The fight was over in a flash.

"I won't forget this Hyuuga!" Goshima cried when the lesser-demons carried him away. The Hyuuga Prince doubted he would recover in this lifetime.

Natsume was then able to take a look at his surroundings. Yukihara had sent Kaname (and what a shock it was to see him descend on a _dragon_ of all things), so they had some magic on their side. Thankfully, Kaname had been able to enhance their swords to more effectively slay demons. His spell only covered a small region, so the men shifted their fights the best they could to enter this space and kill the demons there. It was something Natsume was deeply grateful for. The _dragon_ helped too.

His men were holding their own, but with Alice's army divided, they were at a disadvantage in terms of strength. Just as Natsume was contemplating a tactical retreat, more men started pouring in from the South. He found Ruka at the forefront of it.

"What's going on?" Natsume asked in a hurry.

"Yukihara didn't need us all there. We were in his way more than we actually helped him. I left half of our men there and brought the other half with me." Ruka quickly explained and then shoved Natsume out of the line of fire from a burning arrow.

"Thanks Ruka." Natsume coughed in gratitude and pulled the blonde to his feet. Ruka grinned and they stood back to back, just like old times. The prince swung high and the knight swung low. They covered each other's blind spots and moved with practiced ease. The number of demon corpses started piling up around the formidable duo.

Then Lord Kunoji entered Natsume's field of vision. He rode a bred-for-war, horned black stallion and the ground vibrated under the weight of its footsteps. Lord Kunoji appeared no older than Natsume but Natsume was certain the Lord was as old as time itself. He had a face that could almost be described as simply human if not for the blackness of his pupil-less eyes and ornate battle armor garbed on his short body.

"Natsume Hyuuga. You are even more than my expectations, puny human." The lord's deep voice rang towards Natsume as if it was whispered in his ear.

"I'm curious as to how the Demon Lord took such an interest in— in your words, my lord— _a puny human_." Natsume smirked facetiously. Kunoji narrowed his black eyes on the Hyuuga heir.

"There was a prophecy foretelling my doom at the hands of a puny human. A Hyuuga heir. I've come to put an end to such nonsense." The demon lord answered curtly; he was not intent on revealing too much. Natsume was momentarily surprised, but then the pieces all clicked together; the attacks that had begun since he was a child, his father's strict training, his mother's constant worrying…it all made sense.

"Well, then I guess it's my duty to ensure the prophecy is fulfilled." Natsume smirked and then he struck the first blow.

* * *

Mikan was thrown into a wall of rocks. She shouted a quick cushioning spell. It softened the blow on her body, but the same couldn't be said for the shattered wall. On the other end of the battle, Luna Koizumi was similarly battered and brought to her knees. The battlefield was unrecognizable as both sorceresses had razed the once grassy fields to nothing but dirt and rings of fire. The sky was singed red and clouds of soot rose from the burning lands. It was the image of hell itself.

There were neither demons nor knights left on the grounds; not even their remains— just the two sorceresses and their magic. Both had severely exhausted their magical reserves, and Mikan, who had only just begun to tap into her new powers as High Sorceress, was exhausted from the strain of unfamiliar magic. That did not stop her from getting up again.

* * *

"Is that all you've got **human**?" The demon lord taunted the Hyuuga Prince. Natsume coughed. He rolled over onto this stomach and spit blood from his mouth. Kunoji cackled, enjoying the sight of the battered Prince.

The demon lord was no lord for show. His footwork was flawless and he was lithe on his feet as only a demon could be. His strength was real; every blow from the clash of their swords was heavy and sent tremors up Natsume's arm. And his technique was refined; there were no holes in his defense and his offense was executed precisely and without wasted movement.

Simply put, his swordsmanship was even beyond the greatest swordsman of Alice Kingdom. But that wasn't enough to deter the Hyuuga Prince. Seeing as the Lord was distracted, Natsume took the opportunity to kick the Lord's feet from below him and jump across the demons's fallen body to reclaim **Hiryu**.

"No. I'm just getting started."

* * *

"W-why? Why you?" Luna Koizumi coughed in pain, her legs were numb and locked in place from exerting so much magic. "Why would the Magic Realm pick a stupid servant girl like you? I trained all my life for this!"

Mikan cringed. She sympathized with Luna. She knew what it was like to desperately wish for something only for that one thing to be denied. She spent her whole life hiding her magic, hiding such a huge part of herself that without it, she would literally be nothing. Then she thought about Natsume Hyuuga. He would never see her as anything more than a manservant and, possibly, a friend.

She certainly knew what it was like to be denied the things she wanted most in life.

"It's not fair, but we made our choices Luna."

* * *

Natsume pushed himself harder than he ever had before in his life. Every attack had to be stronger, every swing faster, every step more agile; he was pushing his body to the limits, and it was only a matter of time before it gave away.

Then he made a mistake, stepping onto unstable ground, the prince's footing was lost. Kunoji took the opportunity to deliver a powerful downward swing, precisely aimed at the Natsume's sword hand. The prince released the sword on instinct, his gloved fingers only milliseconds from being sliced clean off. He didn't have time to react when Kunoji brought up the pommel of his sword and struck his jaw, the force of which threw him several feet back.

Black spots filled Natsume's vision and his chin throbbed. Kunoji pulled **Hiryu** from the dirt and swung it experimentally.

"What now Hyuuga-kun?" Kunoji laughed madly, waiting for Natsume's cries of distress and 'Please don't kill me.'

The Hyuuga Prince did neither. Instead, he grinned. Kunoji's laughter died and his eyes flew to the prince's sword. It was getting heavy. Rapidly.

Natsume couldn't believe his luck. **Hiryu**, true to his father's words, was a sword that only members of the Hyuuga family could wield. The sword rejected any other user and became as heavy as a mountain demon when separated from its master's hand.

Natsume flipped onto his legs and grabbed Kunoji's sword and ran the demon lord through just as he released the Hyuuga Family sword.

"D-damn you, Natsume Hyuuga." Were the demon lord's last words. When the blade pierced Lord Kunoji's body, one-by-one, every demon in the vicinity crumbled and turned to ashes. Only Kunoiji's petrified figure was left. Natsume kicked the corpse off the end of his sword and held **Hiryu** high in the air to signal their triumph. The battlefield was overcome with cacophonous cries of victory.

Ruka was the first to approach the victorious Prince."We did it Natsume," His friend said, sighing in relief. Natsume shook his head.

"Not yet, let's go save Yukihara." The knights responded with renewed fervor.

* * *

"Give up Luna and we can still return to Alice Kingdom together." Mikan tried to reason.

"I'd rather die than return to that hypocritical peasant village." Luna scoffed in repulsion. Mikan cringed; this battle was only going to continue to draw out until they both died from exhausting their magic reserves. "I cannot believe such a novice pushed me this far."

"I'm hardly a novice, Luna." Mikan managed to snort between exhaustive breaths. She steadily rose to her feet, clutching her aching sides. She was certain she broke a rib or two from that last fall. Her lungs were on fire and every breath hurt. Her eyes were swollen and a mixture of ash, blood, and sweat covered her face and most of her body. Her clothing was singed and probably irreparable. Luna wasn't in a much better state, also covered in blood, sweat, and soot; the sorceress was sporting a split lip, a bruised cheek, a bleeding temple, and several broken fingers.

"No, you're just a lucky, dimwitted idiot." She retorted dryly, but then she gave Mikan a once over and smirked knowingly. "An idiot who can no longer use magic."

"I could say the same for you," Mikan replied confidently; certain that both she and the sorceress poured the last of their magic into the previous clash. She had the rope burns on her arms to show for the malicious binding spell Luna launched at her. Mikan broke free of course.

While Mikan wasn't in the habit of inflicting torture on her opponents, Luna had done more than just try to bind her, she tried to bind Mikan's magic. The spell, **briseadh a méara**, forcibly bent all of a victim's fingers backwards and twisted at the ligament. Luna had to channel the last of her magic to prevent the spell from turning her fingers into boneless appendages.

Luna did not find Mikan's retort amusing. Sneering, "Let me show you how a real sorceress does magic, servant girl." Luna enunciated in the most demeaning voice she could muster.

Mikan watched as Luna pulled a dagger from her cloak and sliced her own hand clean open. Blood poured from the wound, and Luna crouched down to the soil to draw with it. In horror, Mikan watched red wisps of kanji float into the air as the ancient spell activated. The ground rumbled beneath their feet. Large chunks of gravel flew outward. Mikan dove out of the way of the hurling projectile, but she wasn't fast enough to avoid the debris.

"Luna don't do this! If you open a portal to the demon world here, the human world will never be the same again." Mikan pleaded, trapped; her left leg was crushed under the weight of a large stone. The sorceress wasn't even listening. And Mikan was helpless; she had no magic left.

"Insolent child, this is the magic buried deep within our souls, I cannot stop it now even if I wanted to. And I don't, I really don't. The Magic Realm, and the Human World can rot like the filth they are."

Mikan could not believe her eyes. _Soul Magic_. She only heard of it in theory. It was magic that used a sorcerer's life force and shortened their lifespan. And by the looks of it, it was Luna's last resort. If Mikan did nothing to stop Luna here, both worlds would be overrun by the demon world. She would fail Alice Kingdom, the future of Japan, and most importantly, she'd fail to ever earn back Natsume's trust.

**Think Mikan, you've got to think of something!** She hit the ground in frustration. That was when she felt it...the magic of the earth. It was faint but it was certainly there.

Her mind raced at the possibility. Taking a deep breath, Mikan pressed her palms to the soil. There it was again. The magic. It flowed through the earth's crust like rivers, almost like blood veins. She could touch it. Somehow, Mikan just knew she could do it.

A plan quickly formed in her mind. She channeled a tiny fraction of the spell into the boulder and it shattered like shale. Grunting in pain, Mikan rose to her feet, pulling the magic into her as she stood. The earth's power filled her body as if it was a vessel born to channel the very essence of magic. It just felt so **right** and **natural** to her, like the magic of the earth had always been hers.

Spells were no longer necessary. She unleashed the force inside her and struck the leaking Demon Portal like a maelstrom. The few demons that escaped the portal weren't just killed, they were annihilated. Not a shred of evidence remained.

With new found strength, Mikan glided towards Luna, watching the sorceress that created this whole mess shaking in fear. Mikan could only imagine what she looked like. Lightning crackled around her like an encircling halo. It was as if the fabric of the universe bent and contorted just to get out of her way. Luna fell to her knees. The light started to drain from her eyes.

"**You created this chaos, Luna Koizumi. You carelessly touched the magic in your soul and now I will use that very soul to clean your mess up**." Mikan's voice boomed with the voice of thousands of magical spirits. Her soul vibrated in sync with theirs.

"W-what will you do to me?" Luna trembled, sweating from her temples. Mikan placed her hand over Luna's heart, and using the blood from the sorceress's wounds, she drew a seal and thrust all her magic into it. Luna began shrieking in pain.

"**I have sealed the Demon World using your soul's magic. It shall never be opened again…**Goodbye, Luna-san." Mikan finished with a whisper as the magic of the earth began seeping into Luna. Mikan couldn't bear to watch the cruelty she'd just inflicted on one of her magical kinfolk. She turned her back to Luna.

"I won't die alone," Luna hissed through the pain. Mikan turned in time to see Luna launch a dagger in her direction. But she was just too tired to move out of the way.

Time slowed as the dagger sailed through the air, unobstructed on it's path. Mikan felt the weight of the world, the weight of channeling the inherent magic within the Earth's crust, the weight of extinguishing one of her own kinsfolk; and every bone, muscle, and fiber of her body ached. She was tired. Everything hurt. Maybe it was okay to just...

"YUKIHARA!" A body tackled her to the ground. Time resumed and Mikan watched the dagger harmlessly fly over her. An armored knight pressed her down, shielding her with his body. She recognized the familiar musky scent of the man she spent the last three years of her life protecting before she saw his familiar raven locks. His head was buried against her neck. He lifted it slowly and crimson red eyes bored into her.

"Natsume—" Mikan breathed in awe, mesmerized (and quite possibly concussed). She touched the side of his jaw, felt the warmth meet her fingertips, and then moved to caress his cheek. Natsume let her, silently watching her, searching her eyes from something; she knew not what.

"You didn't think I'd let you die that easily, did you?" Her heart tugged at the childish words and boyish smirk. Natsume pulled her to her feet, still smirking victoriously. "No, not until you receive your punishment."

"Punishment?"

"You dared to lie to your prince. You are without a doubt, the worst manservant that has ever existed. So I must be the craziest man in the world for what I'm about to do." Mikan was about to ask what, when suddenly Natsume cupped her face between his hands and brought his head against hers, intimately. Just when her eyes couldn't get any wider, Natsume pressed his lips to her chastely, softly, tenderly. And Mikan gave into the alluring sensations that filled her body. He nibbled on her lower lip and Mikan wove her hands around his neck and deepened the kiss, relishing in the feel of those raven locks between her fingers. It was even better than she could imagine.

Then Natsume suddenly pulled back, chuckling. "You even kiss like a girl, Yukihara. But I guess that makes things easier on me."

"Natsume I am a—" She never got to finish that sentence as exhaustion overcame her.

* * *

Three days later.

Mikan woke up with a gasp. She must be out of her mind! She just dreamt that she kissed the Prince of Alice Kingdom in front of all his knights in the middle of a kami-forsaken battlefield _while_ she was still dressed like a man—and Natsume didn't care! What a dream!

"You're finally awake sweetheart?" Kaoru Joo-sama asked, surprising Mikan by appearing by her bedside.

"Joo-sama, where am I? What happened? Is the war over?" The words spilled out frantically. She groaned and massaged her temples. The sudden movement caused her head to throb. Her fingers were met with her soft brunette hair. She was back in her lady-wear, in an unfamiliar room, and on a bed too grand for a servant. Kaoru Joo-sama sank down on the bed and brushed the girl's hair back affectionately.

"You're in the guest quarters Mikan-chan. It's been three days since the war ended. You and Natsume were successful on both fronts. It was a complete victory for Alice Kingdom." The queen explained, smiling pleasantly.

"And Luna?"

"Dead—at least we believe so." Mikan sighed in relief in hearing those words, yet another part of her felt lonely. Luna was, without a doubt, evil and needed to be destroyed, but she was also the only other sorceress who felt Magic the way Mikan did. She was silent for a moment, then another thought suddenly occurred to her.

"H-how is Nat—Prince Natsume?" She asked, blushing. The Queen gave her an absolutely scandalized look.

"He's been causing quite an uproar since his return. I suppose even Natsume will go through a rebellious phase at least once." The Queen chuckled, her face alight with humor. When Mikan looked confused, the Queen leaned in closer as if to whisper conspiratorially, "He's been trying to persuade his father to let him marry his _manservant_."

It took a minute for that to sink in. "Oh. My. Gosh." Mikan gasped, sinking under the covers half in embarrassment and the other half because her heart was beating so hard it hurt to sit upright. She couldn't believe it—that kiss on the battlefield hadn't been a dream after all. Natsume kissed her in front of ALL his knights and he hadn't cared that she was a **man** at the moment. A tiny smile stretched across Mikan's face and she had to fight to prevent a burst of giggles from escaping.

"Judging by your reaction, am I to assume you are also in love with my son?" Mikan rose from her duvet and nodded shyly. The queen stared at her intently, and Mikan couldn't decipher if she was angry or just examining her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized how inappropriate it was to fall in love with the Prince while she was tasked to protect him. That part of her mind was shut down by the overwhelming affection she felt. Natsume was her destiny and her purpose. He was her everything.

"Well then, I suppose it's time to tell Natsume the truth before he throws a gauntlet at his own father." The Queen chuckled. "Come on sweetheart, let's get you ready." Kaoru Joo-sama said, holding out a hand for Mikan.

"You're not angry?"

"Angry? Perhaps a little, I do owe your mother 5,000 yen for losing that bet."

"Bet?"

"Yuka-san bet Natsume would make his move before he knew you were a woman, I bet he would after. I guess I don't know my son as well as I thought."

"Huh?"

* * *

"Natsume, son, I have nothing against you marrying a sorcerer, but the problem lies in that He. Is. A. **Man**." Ioran Hyuuga slowly enunciated. Natsume curled his fists together.

"I'm aware of that Father, but I cannot change the way I feel about him and I probably never will." He replied, trying to remain as respectful as possible.

"You are my only heir Natsume. You will be king one day and you will be expected to produce heirs of your own. You cannot do that with a man!" His father insisted. Natsume grit his teeth, he was prepared to argue for the life of him when the throne room doors suddenly swung open.

Both the King and Natsume turned towards their newcomers. It was Yuka-san and Izumi-san, but instead of seeing Yukihara like they expected to, between the two parents was a young woman, a beautiful young woman. The trio bowed respectfully to the King, behind the group, the Queen followed in. Natsume felt better now that his mother was here. He knew she would support him. Heck, she even brought Yukihara's parents. But where was the man in question?

The young woman was dressed in a Hyuuga Red gown that clung to figure perfectly. She had eyes warm like chocolate and hair that hung to her waist, with a crown of flowers carefully woven into her hair. Natsume was momentarily struck by a sense of familiarity, but quickly shook his head and dismissed the thought.

The young woman bowed, "Your Highness, I am Mikan Yukihara. The High Sorceress of the Magic Realm." She began. Natsume's eyes widened— No. Way. "These are my parents Izumi Yukihara and Yuka Yukihara." That confirmed it. Yukihara wasn't a he…he was a she and her name was Mikan.

"A woman?" The king asked, startled. He then looked at Natsume and seeing his son was just as gobsmacked as he, the King started to chuckle and soon a gut deep laughter echoed around the throne room. "Haha, now I have no objections. Son, you have my blessings to marry her!" The king continued to laugh.

A murmur of surprise arose from the knights who'd come to support the prince in his efforts to win Yukihara's hand in marriage. Sure, they were surprised the prince had fallen in love with a man, but since it was little Yuki-chan they felt it was okay.

"Yuki-chan, you're so cute!" Tsubasa cried from the peanut gallery.

"Owu owu owu! Yuki-chan look this way, look this way! It's Kokoro!"

"Yuki-chan's a woman?!"

"Baka! It's Lady Mikan now, idiot. Or maybe Princess Mikan Hyuuga," The knight wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. The clatter died down when Natsume moved directly in front of Mikan. His gaze moved between the sorceress and the queen. After a cumbersome silence, he finally addressed the queen,

"You knew?"

"It was my idea to have Mikan-chan watch over you," The queen admitted shrewdly.

"Hmm," The prince harrumphed. He grabbed the manservant by the wrist and proceeded to drag her out of the throne room. Mikan followed in silence. When they reached an isolated corridor, he threw her against the nearest wall and pressed his body against her, eyeing her sharply.

"Natsume…"

"Hn. That insolent way of talking…you really are Yukihara."

"Sire, I'm sorry—" Natsume kissed her to shut her up.

"You talk too much." He murmured, lingering close to her mouth. Eyes like jewels watched her carefully, his breath mingled with hers. It was clear he did not mean for her to escape.

"Natsume…you're not mad?" Mikan finally managed to breathe. Natsume pulled back, still refusing to let her go and held her against his chest.

"That depends. Is there anything else you're keeping from me?"

"Yes." Natsume cocked an eyebrow. "I love you." Mikan admitted.

Natsume threw his head back and laughed. "Magic, no magic, man, woman, it doesn't make a difference to me. I want you, _you idiot_, all of you."

Then he leaned in closer, his mouth just shy of tickling the sensitive rim of her ear and he whispered in a deep husky voice. "I want all of you, Mikan."

Natsume held her face between his hands and pulled her close to kiss her. His mouth covered hers, stealing away her breath and every thought in her head until she was consumed with Natsume. He kissed her desperately, longingly, as if he found all the answers he'd been searching for. Mikan curled her fingers against his biceps, torn between the frantic need to pull him closer and the fear of allowing herself to drown in his intoxicating kiss.

It was like a dream come true. Natsume accepted her, every part of her. In that moment, Mikan realized that she could never love any man more than she would ever love Prince Natsume Hyuuga. So she gave in and threw her arms around Natsume's neck. This time, it was her turn to take the Prince by surprise. Mikan kissed him, pouring every ounce of the feelings that Natsume stirred within her in that one kiss.

The couple pulled back breathless. Natsume rested his head against hers and Mikan held him so she wouldn't collapse weightlessly.

"Marry me?" Natsume asked.

"Yes." She whispered.

* * *

**Thank you so much for all your patience. There is only one more short flashback before this story resumes in present time. To make up for how delayed this chapter is, I wrote two short omakes down below. An omake is a side story that is not necessarily a part of the main plot line.**

**Omake 1:**

"You should hate me."

"Why? I already knew you were an idiot." **SMACK.** "Ouch. What, brat?"

"I lied, Natsume. About almost everything."

"I'll have you know, that as a Prince, I am quite distinguished at filtering the rubbish." Natsume rolled his eyes, running his fingers up and down his fiance's arm.

Mikan pulled back skeptically. "Meaning?"

Natsume softened and brushed his nose against hers. "Meaning I could read between the lines, idiot. You never lied about the things that mattered. When the truth came out, it changed very little. I would have married you anyway Yukihara."

"Even though you thought I was a man?"

"Take it as a compliment. There are few that find those rags you wear _endearing_."

Mikan giggled. "And the hat?"

"Burn it immediately. That's an order, Yukihara!"

"Yes sire!"

**Omake 2:**

"So all this time, when I called you a girl—"

"Wasn't really offended."

"Damn…is that why you always pissed me off and got yourself thrown out of my room when I wanted to have a bath?"

Mikan blushed. "Well, yes."

Natsume snorted in amusement. Then he smirked mischievously. "You've been stealing looks at me anyway. Perhaps we should level the field?" He teasingly tugged on her blouse. He waited for Mikan's shrieks of "_You stupid perverted fox_!" or "_In your dreams, you lecherous toad_!"

She did neither. Instead, she smiled softly and moved closer to the prince. Natsume kept still, his heart raced, and he was curious to see what she would do. She moved to sit on his lap, straddling him by the waist, and hooking her fingers together behind his neck.

She leaned in close and the scent of her perfume made Natsume's heart skip a beat. He kept perfectly still, waiting for a scorching kiss of a lifetime, when suddenly, Mikan brushed her nose against his.

Natsume blinked. The sorceress grinned in promise and whispered in his ear. "In time, My Prince."

**Again, thank you for reading up until here. I know these are trying times, but please stay safe, stay home, and stay positive! We will get through this together!**

**Magic Spells**

**cume heofonfýr, oferswing: **translates to come lightning, strike her.

**briseadh a méara:** translates to break her fingers. Irish not Old English here.


	7. Chapter 7

**I gave myself a week to edit this. Instead, I spent two weeks rewriting (eye roll). I'm the worst self-editor. **

**This is the last past-life flashback for now. There will be plenty more throughout the story. I'm not a fan of stories that set up characters like they are best friends, but when the story starts it's like they've had no history together whatsoever. I WON'T do that with Natsume and Mikan. You will see more of their childhood AND their past life.**

**Also, I wrote this chapter 5 years ago, in 2015. So any reference to lock downs and government shut downs is pure coincidence. Hell, when I started posting this story, Wuhan was the only place under quarantine. **

* * *

**Chapter 7**

_Seven Years Later._

_Natsume took a deep breath, playing with the ring on his fourth finger. The silence was driving him mad. Then the moment he was waiting for finally came: Izumi Yukihara finally came out of the delivery room._

"_Otou-sama, is Mikan…?"_

"_Congratulations Natsume. It's a boy." His father-in-law answered with a tired grin. Natsume felt a rush of emotions invade his system, nervousness, pride, happiness, fear; they were all good kinds of emotion. _

"_A boy…" The word_ father _lingered in his mouth but his tongue felt swollen, making it harder to form words. Overwhelmed, Natsume addressed the issue that he could talk about, "A-and Mikan?"_

"_It was touch and go for a while," Izumi-san admitted. "In the end, we had to rely on her magic to get through the delivery." _

"_But she's okay?" Natsume asked urgently. _

"_Yes, son. She's okay." Izumi then clapped Natsume's back. "Thank you Natsume. You've made me a grandfather." _

_The Prince didn't know how to reply. Luckily, his father-in-law understood. _

"_You can go see her now."_

"_Arigatou, Otou-san." He whispered and ran as fast his legs would take him, to close the distance that separates them. He bolted into the delivery room where he found his wife of six years ensconced in a mountain of blankets with Karou and Yuka-san at her side. _

_She was pale; exhaustion clear on her face. Yuka-san supported Mikan so the new mom could hold her infant. Though tired, Mikan cooed softly at the small bundle in her arms. He froze by the bed; rooted in place by overflowing emotions. _

"_Natsume?" The queen asked, hooking her hand around his elbow. She brushed the hair out of his face, searching his eyes questioningly. _

"_S-she looks so fragile." Natsume whispered, as if saying it any louder would make it true. He was not yet ready to confront the circumstance that led to the emergency delivery. _

"_Your partner is the strongest woman I have ever met." Kaoru reminded gently. _

"_Stronger than you?"_

"_A hundred times stronger." Kaoru pressed a kiss into his temple. "Go Natsume. She's waiting for you." _

"_We'll leave you two alone." Yuka-san acknowledged and she and Kaoru both took their leave. Mikan looked up, as if seeing Natsume for the first time, a delicate flush spread across her face._

"_His name is Youichi." She murmured when Natsume slid into the bed with her. Mikan passed the bundle that was his son and Natsume felt floored._

"_Youichi…" Natsume breathed in awe. He pulled Mikan to his side and held his newborn son in his other arm. It was a close call. He almost lost them both. Words alone could not convey how grateful Natsume felt for Mikan's strength to survive the birth, her wit to avoid the ambush, and her courage to stay by his side all these years. _

_He held the two most important people in the world to him. So if Natsume was suddenly a bit misty eyed, he really couldn't be blamed. Mikan curled into his side and tenderly rubbed the moisture out his eyes. _

"_He has your face." He said. _

"_He has your grumpy eyes too." Mikan teased him back. Natsume chuckled in response and kissed her forehead._

"_You love my grumpy eyes." He told her. Mikan sighed contently._

"_Yes, and I'll love his as I do yours."_

"_I love you, Mikan."_

"_Yeah." She smiled. "I love you too."_

**FLASHBACK END**

Mikan gasped when the memories finally released her. Her head throbbed worse than the time she and Natsume pulled an all-nighter watching anime before their school field trip. A lifetime worth of memories, knowledge, and experiences poured into her. She was once Princess Mikan Hyuuga and later Queen Mikan Hyuuga of Alice Kingdom. She was the High Sorceress of the Magic Realm, and the only heir to ever be selected even a thousand years after her original life time. Sakurano appeared beside her with a worried expression on his face.

"Mikan-sama?"

"Shuuichi…I remember." She whispered breathlessly; her voice was thick with emotion. There were still several gaps in her memory, the time between her courtship with Natsume and her son's birth were missing. She couldn't remember anything after Youichi's birth either. "I-I don't understand. Why have we come back? Not just me or Natsume, all my classmates, we've all been reincarnated."

"I'm not too sure Mikan-sama, but I'm certain it's somehow connected to Luna-sama's return." Sakurano informed, helping Mikan to her feet. Mikan groaned at the mention of her name.

"God, Luna. She used the same seal I used to close the Demon Realm to open another portal…and she used my Jii-san." Mikan responded through gritted teeth. The memories of the years she spent studying in the Magic Realm were spotty at best. "Of course! When I sealed her, I must have unconsciously tethered her soul to this world. Kami-sama, Shuuichi, I think I might have inadvertently made Luna immortal!" Mikan gasped as her epiphany struck her. Then she felt very sick and very weak.

Sakurano quickly caught Mikan by the arm. "Are you alright, Princess?" He asked, his voice full of concern.

"Uhh, I think my spirit is being called back to my body." She muttered, clutching her throbbing head. "Nobara-chan only brought me here in spirit didn't she? Where did she leave my body?"

"I believe in a human hospital, Princess."

"I see…Shuuichi, how did Alice Kingdom—" _fall_. Mikan couldn't ask the rest. If her memories were blank, it most likely meant that her reign did not end peacefully. That the fallen kingdom was met with a tragic end. She was too afraid of the answer. Sakurano wisely didn't press. The brunette shook her head. It was a millennia ago. There were more pressing issues right now.

"I can't stay, Shuuichi. I'm too weak here without my body. Tell Nobara-chan, Anna, and Nonoko that I'll be back when my magic returns." Mikan instructed.

Her body started to glimmer and she felt her spirit slowly being returned to the Human Realm. Before disappearing completely, she caught sight of Sakurano kneeling on one leg with his right hand over his heart.

"Welcome back Mikan Joo-sama."

* * *

It was late afternoon, several days after the attack, that Mikan found a moment of freedom to escape her hospital room and hide out on the roof of a 7-story hospital building in central Tokyo. The city below was dead. A stark contrast to the hustle of doctors, police officers, and lawyers drifting in and out of her hospital room, asking questions to which she hoped she conjured believable answers.

The cool spring air was refreshing. It helped Mikan push her senses and get a taste for the magic that lingered in 21st century Japan. It wasn't as alive nor as thriving as it was a 1,000 years ago, but it was still there. A week ago, magic was just make-believe; the stuff of shonen manga and fantasy animes. Now magic is the only reality to hold onto.

"**Leoht**," the young sorceress whispered, willing light to form in her bandaged hand. There wasn't even a spark. Mikan curled her fingers into a fist and held it close to her chest. The warmth of magic still lingered under her skin, running through her veins, brimming with power that was just out of reach. It was her only comfort now that her Jii-chan was gone and her best friend was...

"**Blostma**," She tried again to ease the loneliness. In the past, it was a spell she used to conjure flowers for Yuka.

"Mikan Joo-sama…I can't believe my eyes." Years of instinctually hiding her magic taught her to be paranoid. Even though the voice caught her unaware, she realized she recognized the owner of it.

"Kaname? Is that you?" The blonde haired, golden-brown eyed boy was handsome even in the pale green hospital scrubs. His complexion was quite pale and he wore one of those purple surgical wristbands.

When Kaname didn't answer, Mikan wheeled closer to the teen and waved back and forth his frozen eyes. "Ano…Kaname-kun, hello, can you hear me?"

No answer.

"Ara, he's completely frozen." She tried poking his side, patting his cheek, and even ruffling his hair. Then, she moved in closer to inspect the teen's face, trying to reconcile it with the Kaname she knew in the past. Still standing an entire head taller than her, he was a less bulky version of the knight she knew.

"Wow, you have beautiful eyes, Kaname-kun!" They were swirling with liquid gold. It was mesmerizing to look at. As if a spell had broken, Kaname snapped out of his trance and the golds in his eyes faded to brown.

"M-mikan-sama what are you doing here?!" The teen jumped to put two feet of space between them, his face and ears flushed red.

"Demon attack, what about you?" She replied, matter-of-factly, trying to check if the boy was feverish. She noticed his eyes weren't glowing gold anymore.

"My appendix burst…" Kaname squirmed away from her ministration, which was pretty impressive since Mikan had him cornered with her wheelchair.

"Oh, that sounds painful…" She tried to poke him again but Kaname neatly jumped out of the way.

"Yeah it was…Wait, did you say demon attack?"

"Na, Kaname, how much do you remember?" The girl neatly changed the topic.

"Not everything, the memories are still flooding into my mind. Honestly, I can not believe what I'm seeing right now." Kaname repeated in disbelief. He was clearly still disoriented; slipping in and out of using _keigo_ with Mikan. "Mikan-sama, are those injuries from the demon attack?"

Mikan looked down at herself and grimaced. The doctors said her injuries were consistent with a car crash victim's. Her back was littered with cuts, arms bruised with defensive wounds, her right hand punctured through and through, and her legs weakened from taking a blow to the spine when the komodo demon tail-whipped her at the giant oak. Mikan guessed the residual magic in her system that kept her spine from breaking and getting paralyzed all-together. The rest of the injuries have to heal naturally, and some physical therapy so she can walk normally.

"How much do you know?"

Kaname thought for a moment. "A week ago, Japan entered a military lock down. There was this strange pillar of light and the demons came out of it...there were three of them, but each one disappeared when the light vanished. No one has seen them since."

"A lock down huh?" Mikan replied weakly, she turned to face the silent Tokyo cityscape. "People must be pretty scared."

Kaname softened. "At first, we were. There were tanks and soldiers in full riot gear marching down the streets. I think we're all relieved they didn't find anything. Aside from the hospitals and police stations, everything else is closed. Kind of spooky, huh?"

Mikan smiled sadly, grateful for the small talk.

"If you'd like to talk about it, I'm here to listen, Princess." The sweet way he called her princess brought down all of Mikan's walls. When she talked to the police, she left out Luna's appearance and let the police believe she was just a victim of circumstance. With Kaname she couldn't avoid the truth.

So she told him everything. Rambled it really, half out of relief and half with guilt.

"I know this is a lot to take in. But Luna is my responsibility, Kaname-kun. Thank you for listening to me, but I have no intention of dragging you into this mess. Things are only going to get more dangerous—" She was cut off by Kaname suddenly placing his hand over her mouth.

"Mikan-sama, the moment my memories returned was the moment that I became a part of your destiny once more. It would be an honor to serve you, princess." The softness in his earth brown eyes when he looked at her was almost enough to make Mikan cry. Instead, she squeezed his hand.

The next day, Mikan had another blonde-haired visitor she wasn't expecting. He was fashionably dressed in black slacks with a white button down and a thin black tie around his neck. He had eyes the color of ice but a smile that was bright like a bonfire. She recognized him as Alice Kingdom's Record Keeper and Prince Natsume's private tutor— Narumi Anjou. What she didn't expect was for Narumi-sensei to keel over like Kaname did when his memories came back.

"Uso…Mikan-sama?" Narumi whispered when he came to. Mikan also pulled back in shock.

"Eh? Narumi-sensei remembers as well?"

"As well?" Narumi blinked, disoriented; molten gold swimming in his irises.

"Sensei, are you alright?" Narumi sank into the extra bed meant for overnight guests, holding his head.

"Chotomatte Mikan-sama. I'm getting confused between two life times here." The way he said it made Mikan chuckle. She liked Narumi a lot. He was a great help in her transition from a servant to a princess. When Narumi-sensei finally cleared his mind, he turned to Mikan with an expression of compassion.

"I think I have an idea of what might have happened. It was hard, wasn't it Mikan-sama?" Narumi tenderly karded his fingers through her hair, tucking a stray lock behind her ear. Her defenses were no match for the comforting gesture.

"Yeah." She whispered. "It's been hard."

Later, once they both had a chance to collect themselves, Mikan asked Narumi what he was doing here.

"It's kind of a long story. Will you hear me out, Mikan-chan?" When the teen nodded in response, Narumi took a deep breath and began.

"The school wanted to send a teacher to check on you since you're without a guardian right now. I volunteered because I was a friend of your Mom's."

"You knew my mom?"

"I was her junior in University. For the record, I know Natsume's father the same way."

"What? How are they connected?"

"Your mom had two close friends in college, Ioran Hyuuga and Shiki Masachika. She met your father through Shiki-san in her fourth year, but I heard all three of them lost touch shortly after graduating."

Her mind reeled from the information. Ioran Oji-san never mentioned he knew her parents. Did he even know? Narumi-sensei patted her head sympathetically, his eyes were downcast, like that wasn't the end of the revelations for tonight.

"There's one more reason why I am here. Mikan-chan, how much do you know about your parent's marriage?"

"Umm...I know Papa left his family to be with Mom. When they got married, he took Mom's last name and moved outside of Tokyo for a few years until I was born. Then they moved back to be with Jii-san." She answered to the best of her recollection.

"That's right. Well, that's the other reason I'm here. I was able to get in touch with your paternal uncle, and he's expressed his interest in getting to know you."

"I have an uncle?!" Mikan sprang upright, causing the IV and saline bag to shift. The sudden spike in her blood pressure caused the heart monitor by her bed to beep loudly.

"Your uncle reacted the same way when he found out." Narumi chuckled, adjusting her saline bag and encouraging the overwhelmed teen to lie back down.

"I can't believe this," Mikan whispered faintly. This probably wasn't good for her heart.

"I haven't even got to the best part yet!" Sensei exclaimed brightly. Mikan sent him a deadpan expression, doing her best to convey _it can't get any better than that. _She mildly wondered if this was Sensei's revenge for suddenly springing memories of his past life."You already know who he is!"

"I do?"

"Yes, both in your past life and in your present." Narumi-sensei continued teasing. Yup, sensei was definitely getting revenge.

"Sensei, please stop teasing me and tell me who he is already." The suspense was killing her.

"Gomen, gomen, I couldn't resist Mikan-chan. Your Uncle's name is Kazumi Yukihara…" The heart monitor suddenly crescendoed.

**Beep. Beep. BeepBeepBeepBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP—**

"THE PRIME MINISTER?!" Mikan screeched. The Prime Minister of Japan was her uncle? She's the niece of the most powerful man in Japan? Her Dad was a Yukihara? No wonder he left his family to be with Yuka...

**Knock. Knock. Knock.**

"Oh, good timing. That must be him now." Narumi went to answer the door.

"WHAT?" Something inside her short-circuited. Narumi-sensei greeted whoever was on the other side of that door and welcomed _them_ inside. Two men dressed in black suits, one with a red tie and surgical mask covering his face and the other with a sleek black tie and sunglasses, entered. The sunglasses fellow was clearly a bodyguard. That meant the smartly dressed man with the surgical mask was her uncle.

Kazumi Oji-san removed his face mask and for a moment, Mikan thought she was seeing Izumi Yukihara in the flesh.

"Mikan-sama…" Kazumi Oji-san breathed in awe. That's when Mikan saw the gold swirling in Oji-san's eyes. She noticed the same gold when Kaname and Narumi-sensei remembered their pasts. Mikan had to wrack her mind to place who he was in Igarashi's court.

The bodyguard lowered his shades, revealing the molten gold swirling is his irises as well. Did he remember too? Did they both regain their memories?

The memories hit Mikan like a second freight train. The bodyguard was none-other-than Shiki Masachika— the man who trained and honed Prince Natsume's swordsmanship. Mikan put two and two together. Shiki Masachika, the Sword Master, was the Prime Minister's personal bodyguard and most likely the third friend of her Mom's who shared the same name.

Prime Minister Kazumi Yukihara sank into the chair by her bed. He was silent for several seconds before he finally said, "You have your mother's face but Izumi's eyes."

"My uncle is the Prime Minister…" Mikan whispered back. Kazumi Oji-san's eyes, her dad's eyes, crinkled with mirth.

"Surely finding out your uncle is the Prime Minister isn't as enlightening as learning that you are the reincarnation of a Princess from a long fallen kingdom." The Prime Minister chuckled, ironically.

"So you remember…"

"Yes, you gave me quite the shock. I came here expecting to meet my niece. I didn't plan on reacquainting with my sovereign." He then turned to his bodyguard. "Did you expect this Shiki?"

"Not at all Kazumi-sama. What a small world." Shiki answered. Mikan's eyes flickered back and forth between the two. It jogged her memory. Kazumi Yamamoto was King Ioran Hyuuga's First Adviser on the Royal Council. Prime Minister Kazumi Yukihara is her dad's brother and now her uncle. What a small world indeed.

Kazumi grabbed Mikan's bandaged hand. "When I heard my niece was in the ICU being treated for injuries from the demon attack, I requested a full police report on the incident. I hoped the attack was random; that my dear brother's daughter was an unfortunate victim in the wrong place at the wrong time. I assume that that is not the case."

"No. It's not." And for the second time today, Mikan recounted the events of Luna's revival. Kazumi Oji-san, Shiki-san, and Narumi-sensei patiently let her. When she finished, the three men exchanged uneasy looks. Her uncle looked dejected.

"I see. I hoped we'd live together like family, but well...this changes things."

"Arigatou Oji-san. The thought alone makes me happy, but I agree. It won't be good if Luna realizes the connection between us."

"How do you plan to encounter her Mikan-sama?" Narumi-sensei asked, speaking up for the first time in a while.

Kaname asked her the same thing yesterday and she's been thinking about it since waking up from the coma. But there were still too many unanswered questions to make a plan yet.

"Only the Demon Lord or the High Sorceress can open stable gateways between realms. What Luna opened was a portal, a tiny window into the Demon Realm. Still, it takes a massive amount of energy to forcibly open a portal, more than any human can possess.

"When I sealed the Demon Realm, I used my powers as High Sorceress to channel the Earth's magic and it still knocked me out for several days. But Luna was using her own magic. If my guess is right, she spent all the energy she collected while she tethered to the Demon Seal. A thousand year's worth of stored energy spent all at once... I think it's safe to say it will be months before Luna can open another portal." Mikan speculated, unaware of the growing looks of awe (and slight fear) from the three men. The three men didn't see an injured teen in that instance; they saw High Sorceress Mikan Yukihara— the most powerful sorceress that ever was and will be.

"I don't know yet what I'm going to do about Luna Koizumi, but I do know I need to be able to move freely and face her on my own terms, Kazumi Oji-san." Mikan answered apologetically. Though it's all speculation at this point, she knows she can't get involved in Japan's political sphere. Protecting Natsume when she was just a servant was easy. As a Princess, she had obligations and responsibilities to the crown that prevented her from moving around so freely. Thankfully, Kazumi Oji-san seemed to realize this as well.

"As a public servant, I am limited in my ability to assist you, but do remember this ally of yours, my niece."

* * *

Three weeks ago, Mikan thought she experienced the worst possible pain when Natsume told her she was infatuated with him. But Jii-chan's funeral is so much worse.

She sat in the back amidst all the flowers with her legs curled to her body. The guests threw sympathetic looks her way, whispering about how the Sakura Family was full of unusual deaths. Mikan wondered how they'd react if they knew her grandfather was murdered.

Narumi-sensei sat dogeza next to her, handsome even in the somber mourning clothes with his hair swept back in a low ponytail. She felt their arrival even before sensei warned her. Her heart and the magic within it was singing— Natsume is here. She knew.

"Mikan-chan, Ioran Hyuuga-san and Natsume-kun are here." Sensei murmured in a concerned, velvety voice. Her body stiffened. Every nerve in her mind begged her not to look, to keep her face hidden away and her eyes away from the sight she craved.

"Mikan-chan," Ioran Oji-san whispered closely. The familiar scent of his cologne surrounded her, reminding her of the many afternoons spent curled by his reading chair, listening as he told stories in that gentle velvet-smooth voice of his, her heart moving with the rise and fall of the cadence in his narration. Ioran Oji-san wrapped his arms around her protectively. "I'm sorry sweetheart."

She nearly crumbled then and there. Thankfully, Ioran-san didn't say anything else, giving Mikan a chance to prepare herself for the other Hyuuga. Oji-san pulled away and went to pay his respects to Jii-san, leaving Mikan alone with Natsume. Their eyes met once and then he quickly looked away, finding the flowers interesting or something. Mikan's heart sank.

She expected this, really; that Natsume wouldn't remember. She knew there was a possibility of it. Some instinct told her, it wasn't time for the Hyuuga Prince to remember the past. A tiny part of her still hoped that when Natsume saw her again, his eyes would fill with liquid gold and it would restore the love they shared in their previous lifetime.

"Mikan. I'm sorry." He finally said with great difficulty, standing distantly, devastatingly handsome in a midnight-blue suit. He was rubbing his neck, a nervous tick he never fully shed. She knew all his ticks and mannerism. A best friend in one life and a husband in another— she knew Natsume so well it hurt. It's also how she knew his sorry meant so much more than just _sorry_. It meant '_I'm sorry you're hurting and I don't know how to take it away from you.'_

Something about his tender expression softened her on the inside.

He still loves her. Still thinks of her as his best friend. And still grieves for her pain.

How she wished she could take her letter back. Not that her feelings for Natsume weren't genuine but it wasn't the right time and she didn't exactly confess with the best intentions. It was a petty, selfish confession to keep Natsume to herself.

Mikan was relying on that pettiness now for what she was about to do next.

"Just tell me one thing," she began with icy dispassion, forcing herself to remain expressionless. "Did you mean it?"

His blood red eyes widened in surprise. Then, Natsume hung his head, his raven-colored bangs shielding his expression.

"Yeah. I did." Natsume finally conceded with the resignation of a victim coerced into a confession for a crime he did not commit. Mikan bit her inner cheek. Even though it was the reaction she wanted, forced out of him even, it hurt.

She closed her eyes to stop the tears from spilling and saw two versions of Natsume; the high schooler with his self-assuring smirk and teasing eyes, clad in his pristine school uniform and boyishly trying to get a rise out of her. Then she saw the confident young prince immaculate with his crown and family seal emblazoned on his suit of armor, ready for a banter and possessively capturing her attention.

"_**Y-yeah…fangirls. What can you do?"**_

"_Magic, no magic, man, woman, it doesn't make a difference to me. I want you, you idiot, all of you." _

"_**...you're just a confused little girl mistaking idolization for feelings."**_

"_...when the truth came out, it changed very little. I would have married you anyway Yukihara."_

"_**Mikan. I'm sorry."**_

"_I love you, Mikan." _

"But we can still be—"

"No."

Neither of them breathed. A turbulent silence stilled all chatter, leaving only the sound of their heartbeats, stuttering from the weight. Her eyes looked straight ahead, but saw nothing at all. A filmy substance shielded her vision.

_Inhale. _

"We can't. I can't be your friend while I still..." The words rolled off her lips effortlessly, with a detached monotone voice to accompany. "At least, not immediately. I need time."

_Exhale. _

"How long?" Natsume swallowed thickly. The faintly disguised depth of emotion in those two words shattered the grey-tinted lenses obstructing her vision; and she saw for the first time how his face had paled, downcast eyes turned blood-shot, fists curled helplessly to his side, and shoulders trembling faintly. This was hurting them both.

"Two years." She whispered before she lost the will to say it at all.

"Okay," he nodded.

"Okay." She replied abruptly, rising to her feet and making a quick escape from the funeral hall. She didn't look back. She didn't.

When Kaname found her in the hallway, she wanted to keep walking, to endure like she did in a battle— with adrenaline and pure will. But he gripped her shoulder firmly, golden-brown eyes questioning, "_Are you sure about this?"_

She covered his hand and answered in a strangled voice, "If we're going to make our plan work, I can't keep seeing Natsume. It'll break my will entirely." She wondered if she looked as weak as she sounded. Would Kaname think he placed his bet on the wrong horse? Would he regret the decision to follow her?

"I'm with you, Mikan-sama." The ex-knight whispered in promise, and finally held her against his chest as all the walls crumbled and she sobbed the loss of the best thing that ever happened to her.

* * *

**Woah. I did not realize how many things I simultaneously revealed and did not reveal in this chapter. Foreshadowing is fun when you get to control it, hahaha. Also, this chapter was such a wild emotional ride. I spent 5 solid hours editing the last scene alone (*wiped-out*) and my good friend was kind of enough to chat with me about paragraph breaks :) Thanks for sticking with me! **

**Magic Spells**

**Lehot: **translates to light. Used in S01 E9 Excalibur.

**Blostma**: translates to flower. Used in S02 E9 The Lady of the Lake.

**Review, review, review please! I love reading all of your comments and feedback!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I literally have no excuse why this is so late. I promised at least 10 chapters and I mean to reach at least 10 chapters.**

* * *

**Natsume POV**

His dreams always started the same way: on the highest plateau surrounded by a ring of snow-covered mountains, an imposing vermilion castle presided over a town filled with wooden houses; carefully laid out dirt streets formed an intricate pattern of roadwork when seen from his aerial view; and the hustle and bustle of city life with villagers in simple kimonos, horse-drawn rickshaws, open market food stalls, and a wall of lush green trees surrounding the city closest to the castle.

Natsume always knew he was dreaming because it always started with him standing high above the clouds gazing down at this fantastical landscape with not one iota on how his brain could have conjured such an image. The dream then shifted, as it always did, until he was on the castle grounds. He saw himself there, dressed in armor with a dark red cape falling back to his knees and a sword of great craftsmanship encased in an equally great scabbard strapped to his side.

Natsume was walking through a stone hallway with a deeply pensive expression on his face. He walked with purpose and great stature as if he was marching off for battle. His march was faltered by the sight of a lanky boy in a ridiculous hat tripping over his own feet and falling face first dropping all of Natsume's freshly laundered clothes in the process.

"Yukihara, you idiot!" Natsume groaned. "We need to fix this horrid habit of yours. What if you trip and impale yourself on my sword one of these days?" He flustered. He paused to think about it as Yukihara groaned and sat on his knees. "On second thought, if you went and off-ed yourself with those gnarly legs of yours then perhaps Father will finally assign me a more _competent_ manservant." Natsume snarked. Yukihara didn't look remotely amused.

"I'm sorry, Natsume." The servant replied sullenly, his voice too high for a boy his age. The knight wavered at the sight of Yukihara, sitting on his knees with his nose and cheeks red and his eyes slightly watery. The boy rubbed his nose with a mildly exasperated expression and Natsume was fascinated by the skinny little wrist and tiny hand that accompanied it. His manservant looked so terribly...endearing.

"Ahem, well, you'll be washing those again of course." He coughed, trying to cover an obviously growing blush across his face.

"What? These are perfectly fine! You just need to dust them off a little!" Yukihara suddenly screamed, his voice rising several octaves. Natsume smirked smugly.

"Have fun in the washroom Yukihara, I expect you to have these done by tonight!" Natsume called out as he made his way down the opposite hallway with a refreshing smile on his face. Yukihara's cries of "You stupid fox!" only served to make the knight's grin stretch some more.

That's where the dream ended. Natsume unwillingly opened his eyes and found himself staring at the same old white ceiling of his bedroom. No stone castle here. With great reluctance, he dragged his body into the bathroom to begin his morning routine.

It wasn't always the same dream. Sometimes he and Yukihara were hunting for game, fighting off bandits, fighting each other, or in a tavern drinking _sake_ with other knights. Last night's was much more tolerable than last week's when Natsume had, within the dream, imagined himself pushing Yukihara up against a wall and kissing the boy senseless. Natsume's fist curled around his toothbrush murderously. He was _not_ gay.

Several of his friends appeared too. Ruka was almost always present, which is a given considering he's his closest friend at the moment. Kokoro Yome, Kitsu, Tobita Yuu, Mochiage, and Hayate were much more of a surprise. He hung out with those fellows frequently, since they were in the same homeroom and were in the kendo club together, but he wasn't close to them per say. Speaking of those fellows, it was 6:05 and kendo practice began at 7. He had to hurry if he wanted to make practice.

Fifteen minutes later, Natsume took the stairs down two at a time, dressed in his freshly pressed Gakuen Alice uniform, his hair tousled immaculately, and fidgeting with his damn tie the entire way down. His breakfast was waiting for him on the table and he spotted his dad skittering around the kitchen piling food into a small pink bento box for Aoi who was still fast asleep at this time. He wondered what kind of fuss she would make about going to school today.

His weird dreams, his father's prolonged absences, Aoi's meekness, and the silent mechanical routine of playing family in the Hyuuga household all began around the same time— two years ago when Natsume rejected Mikan's confession and the world was thrown into turmoil with the emergence of demons.

Although Japan was no longer under martial law, they were still isolated from the rest of the world. In the past two years, there were only a handful of demon sightings, mostly in Tokyo, that were dealt with quickly and quietly. And when the military announced they discovered a stable method for taking care of the demons, his friends and neighbors grew considerably less paranoid. Business and schools reopened. But it didn't mean life was back to normal yet.

People used to practice kendo for the thrill of learning the ancient martial arts. Now it was a "necessity" for survival because some idiot posted a video claiming he saw a group of vigilantes fighting demons with swords. His only proof was an image so pixelated it might as well have been a screenshot from Minecraft. Unfortunately, the video went viral and Natsume, as the Kendo Club captain, was left sloughing out hero wannabes at tryouts.

"Ohayo Natsume. You're up early today." Ioran greeted pleasantly, sitting across from Natsume at the breakfast table.

"Kendo club," Natsume mumbled between bites of onigiri and tamagoyaki.

"Even on the first day of school?" Ioran Hyuuga asked, perplexed. Natsume dropped the rice ball and hung his head.

"Damn, I forgot." He groaned. They had the welcoming assembly today which meant no practice. He got up early for nothing.

Ioran laughed heartily. "Where's your head at Natsume? Oh, before I forget, will you pick up Aoi from school today? I'll be working late again." Ioran asked, absent-mindedly searching for something. Natsume "hn-ed" in response and passed over the shoyu before his dad asked. Mornings like this were rare in the Hyuuga household. Especially after Prime Minister Kazumi Yukihara credited his dad for discovering this "stable method for taking care of the demons."

Ioran was extremely tight-lipped about his work in the military, so Natsume was as clueless as the rest about this so-called discovery. Only that for the second time in less than 5 years, his family was in the media spotlight again. It was a good thing he had connections in Gakuen Alice; it made weathering the media storm much easier.

Now that he had an extra hour, Natsume took his time walking to the train station. He briefly glanced at the bike collecting dust in their yard. Nope. Too many memories of riding tandem with a pig-tailed brat in middle school. The subway it is.

At school, he skipped the welcoming ceremony, opting to catch a few z's before their new homeroom teacher and his friends since freshman year invaded the classroom. At 9:30 precisely, his siesta was disturbed by screechy chatter and thundering footfalls.

"NATSUME-SAMA!" And so begins the morning screaming ritual of his so-called fangirls. The pristine and well-reputed Gakuen Alice had one blemish: the members of the Natsume-Ruka fan club established by crazy fangirls. Natsume groaned in disgust and resisted the urge to bang his head. But Natsume Hyuuga didn't show weaknesses like that. Instead, he glared at any stupid girl that dared to come within five feet of him.

"Hey! Enough ogling! My boyfriend's not an art exhibit." A more tolerable screechy voice broke the crowd. Sumire Shouda walked through the parted masses, flung her arm around Natsume's neck and placed a sloppy wet kiss on his cheek. "Morning Natsume." Shouda crooned saccharinely.

"Shouda, you're too close." Natsume sighed for the umpteenth time. "Don't get carried away because I agreed to go out with you." Yeah that's right, he, Natsume Hyuuga, was dating Sumire Shouda. They started dating at the end of their second year after she pursued him relentlessly for two years. Normally Natsume wouldn't bother with a fangirl like Shouda but she was the perfect shield against vultures —ahem— fangirls and a solution for his little _I'm-not-gay_ crisis. It's not like Shouda wanted him for anything more than his face either so it worked out.

"_Demoooo_, we didn't meet at all this summer." She whined, making Natsume cringe mentally. "You never even answer my calls." Shouda looked like she had a whole speech prepared, never had he been so happy for his friends to show up exactly when he needed them too.

"Hey Nat! How was your summer?" Kokoro Yome grinned widely, sliding into his usual seat in front of Natsume. His eyes briefly flickered over to Shouda. If Koko was surprised, he didn't show it.

"Busy." Natsume grunted in reply and pushed Sumire out of his lap. The girl pouted but her eyes lit up when her banshee-in-crime Wakako Usumi walked in. She flocked to her side like a mindless minion. Natsume wondered if he should have picked someone other than Shouda. But her mom was a well-respected lawyer and her father the Police Chief— it helped to have that kind of connection. "I've been practicing," He added as an afterthought.

"Kendo?" Koko confirmed. "Yeah, Kitsu and I have been honing our skills too. Think we got a shot at the Olympics this year?"

Natsume smirked. "We're better than Japan's Olympic Kendo team." Koko chuckled in response. Ruka chose that moment to drop his bag into the seat beside Natsume; Ruka greeted him formally as always, that little bocchan. Hayate sat next to the left of Koko, and Mochiage and Yuu both sat two rows in front. Fortunately for Natsume, the closest girl in the vicinity was Imai Hotaru who happened to be the manager of the kendo club. The banshees and the fangirls were on the other end of the classroom. The two transfer students, Anna Ogasawara and Nonoko Ogasawara (twins), were somewhere in the middle near Imai and Otonashi Yura. At the very back of the classroom to the right of Ruka was an empty desk.

Their homeroom sensei finally showed up as well. He was a tall fellow with girly blonde hair, a girly face, girly small hands, and he walked in like a girl. Thankfully his button-down shirt and tie uniform made him bearable to look at.

"Ohayo minna-san! I am Narumi Anjou. You may call me Narumi-sensei or just Narumi. I'll be your homeroom teacher for the next year. Congratulations on making it to your final year of high school. I know our curriculum is especially rigorous so I'm proud of all of you for making it this far. We are just a few months away from the university entrance exam —now, now, there's no need to all groan— so if you have been breezing through all your classes so far, don't expect this year to be the same. For those of you who are struggling, I strongly suggest seeking help from your senseis. We're all here to help.

"Now before we get into our syllabus, I have some exciting news. We have a new student with us today!" Narumi abruptly deviated. His classmates all sat a little straighter in anticipation. Natsume even cracked open an eye. There were whispers like, "I hope it's a hot chick," from the guys and from the banshees, "I hope it's another ikemen! We can add him in the Natsume-Ruka fan club," he cringed when he heard that. "Well technically this student has been with us before, but let's all give her a warm welcome back!"

Natsume paused. There's no way. But the timing fit. _Two years..._

"Mikan-chan! You may come in now!" Narumi fluttered about. Natsume swallowed thickly. The door slowly slid open and she walked in. And Natsume swore that some kami-yaro with a wicked sense of humor just turned the saturation on high because it was like he was seeing color for the first time.

The warmth of her skin, lively burgundy brown eyes, even her lips were the color of her favorite howalon candy. He noticed other things too. Like how her hair no longer hung in her signature pigtails. It was all tied up in a single pony, with the long mane reaching her mid-back. She looked older too. There was a sharpness to her cheek lines and a slenderness by her neck. His eyes couldn't help but drift down and admire what were previously undeveloped flatlands.

Mikan was saying something. There were definitely words coming out of her mouth. But Natsume couldn't hear it. White noise filled his ear, broken up by systematic thudding — no, ticking? Somewhere in his mind, a colossal bronze clock towering over him, frozen in time, ticking for the first time again.

"Arigatou, Mikan-chan, we are all excited to have you back with us. Why don't you sit in the back for now, besides Ruka-kun?" Narumi suggested. Mikan chirped agreeably and moved to sit next to Ruka. Natsume could feel Ruka's eyes burning holes into the side of his face.

"Ohayo Ruka-pyon!" Mikan greeted pleasantly.

"Pyon?" Ruka choked in surprise. Her eyes glazed over him and turned to Natsume.

"Natsume," Mikan acknowledged and, _damn him,_ if he didn't miss the way she used his name like a greeting and endearment all at once. She didn't say anything else, didn't expect him to return the greeting either.

He fought the temptation to glance in her direction as the class progressed. Natsume was dying to see her, see how she changed, see how much of Mikan remained the same— see how much she had forgiven him or not.

First period, second period, and third all went by as if nothing had changed. It wasn't until lunch period that Natsume allowed himself a quick glance. Mikan was amiably packing her things. Something about her nonchalance stung. Since their last meeting two years ago, a mild rage simmered within him. Now, all at once, it resurfaced.

"Hey Nat, I think we should apologize to Sakura." Kokoro Yome said, leaning back in his chair, balancing a pencil between his upper lip and nose.

"I think so as well. We were all rude to Sakura-san." Yuu added, dropping his lunch next to Natsume and picking up a chair. Ruka sent him another prompting look. Natsume could practically hear his friend's voice in his head saying "She's your best friend, Natsume." He didn't really need these guys to remind him. Natsume was dying to talk to her but the girl was currently...preoccupied.

Hayate stood beside Mikan, arms crossed over his chest, staring down intensely, he looked like the big bad wolf staring down one of the little piggies. "Oi Sakura, come with me for a second." He demanded gruffly, as if he could sense Natsume watching him.

"Eh? Why should I?" Mikan blinked cluelessly. He couldn't see Hayate's expression but judging by the way he was on pins and needles, Natsume could tell the wolf-like boy was extremely uncomfortable.

"Just come for a second!" He growled, and with no warning, grabbed the girl's wrist and dragged her out of the classroom. Make that the wolf that ate the grandma and little red riding hood.

"Eeeeh?" The polka-dotted panty girl's cries trailed after her. Ruka, Natsume, Koko, and Yuu all stared after them in surprise.

"What was that about?"

"Saa...Hayate-san has been fidgeting since Mikan-chan walked in this morning." Yuu frowned. Natsume contemplated going after them but it was unnecessary as they both walked back in five minutes later with identical sour looks on their faces. Hayate seemed to be the worse of the two, he slammed his lunch down at their usual spot and began eating with a warlike expression on his face.

"Everything good, bro?"

"Yeah," The silver-eyed boy replied stiffly. "Just sorting out a misunderstanding."

Mikan snorted. "Is that what we're calling that?" Natsume nearly choked. How good was her hearing?

"Who asked you?!" Hayate snapped. "How'd you even hear us? Are you an eagle or something?" Ruka, Yuu, and Koko continued to eat like they hadn't heard anything.

"Eagles have sharp eyes, not ears, Hayate-kun." Mikan deadpanned, more appalled than offended. Hayate fumed and continued to chew on his sandwich.

"Haha, she got you, Hayate." Koko chuckled.

"Shut up." The wolf-boy replied sullenly. Natsume didn't have a chance to approach Mikan again. She was surrounded by those two weird transfer students. Though he wanted to grill Hayate about his little vis-a-vis with Mikan, his pride held him back. Natsume Hyuuga did not fixate. He also doesn't grill his friends like a girl. He's not gay damn it!

"Is there something going between you and Sakura-san?" Fortunately, Ruka was there to ask for him.

"Nothing."

"Bro, you've been acting up since that girl showed up. Yuu saw it. What's the deal?" Mochu growled. Mochiage was a confrontational idiot. He didn't do well with crypticism. Natsume only hung around him because he was useful for fending off the fangirls. It wasn't hard to tell when Mochu was getting worked up. It was always the same routine. His eyes would turn all slant and his brows would form a tight V. That was also around the time that Class Rep would get involved.

"Maa, maa, I'm sure if Hayate-san says it's nothing, it's probably nothing." Class Rep placated the two idiots. If Natsume hadn't seen Yuu's extraordinarily refined skills with a katana, he probably would have written the fellow off as a spineless idiot and ignored him. He was glad he didn't though. Class Rep was an expert diffuser. Every group needed one. "More importantly, I think we should all apologize to Mikan-chan now." Okay, now he regretted it.

"What for?" Natsume grunted, trying not to appear as agitated as he was. Class Rep made a face at him as if he was saying "Isn't it obvious?" Ruka answered for him.

"Natsume, we humiliated Sakura. We can't even say it was unintentional. It's common sense not to read other people's letters." Natsume wanted to protest, but Ruka wasn't done yet. "Maybe you've all forgotten, but we made that girl cry. I don't want to live with that guilt." Surprisingly, even Hayate and Mochiage had the decency to lower their heads.

"Nat, Ruka's right. We should apologize. I miss messing around with Sakura. She was so cool about pranking Jin-jin with Kitsu and me." Koko added his two cents. Kitasuname, who shouldn't even be here since they weren't in the same class but always showed up during their lunch periods, nodded in agreement. His friends all stared at him expectantly. Did they want his permission or something?

Natsume closed his eyes.

He couldn't forget that day at Sakura Jii-san's funeral even if he wanted to. He thought he knew Mikan almost as well as he knew himself. He thought he'd seen all her ups and downs. Nothing could've prepared Natsume for the Mikan he saw at Jii-san's funeral. Defenseless, shriveled up, gray without life in her eyes, he didn't like it. _Hell_, he hated it. The Mikan he grew up with was full of life and laughter. She was an open-book idiot who wore her emotions on her sleeve. He could read her better than he could read complex kanji. Mikan was everything he was not, which was why they got along so nicely.

He went to the funeral determined to patch up their friendship. It was stupid to end their friendship over misguided feelings. He was prepared for the waterworks, the temper tantrum, even the silent treatment. He never expected the icy dispassion or the silver-tongued words that would drive them apart.

_"Just tell me one thing."_ The indifference in her voice, the glacial look in her eyes. _"Did you mean it?"_ Each word was a sucker punch straight to his gut. Every part of her screamed "You're not worth my time. Die in a hole you insignificant little insect." The rage that followed was unbelievable. It took every ounce of self-restraint not to tackle her and knock some sense into her puny little head like he did when they were kids.

One word, one little conversation was enough to cut off ten years of friendship? Bullshit. If she didn't give a damn about their lifelong camaraderie, if she could give it up like a used tissue, then why couldn't he?

_"How long?"_

_"Two years."_

_"Okay,"_

_"Okay."_

She didn't just give him the silent treatment, Mikan dropped out of school and cut him, Aoi, and his father completely out of her life. He had every right to be pissed. Who the hell was she to play around with his feel...emo...whatever. If Mikan wanted to punish him, then she succeeded. Aoi was a friendless loner at school. His dad stopped reading by the fireplace. He worked all the time and never took any holidays off. It was just like when his Mom had...had...

"Do whatever you want." Natsume finally answered. He sensed disappointment from both Ruka and Yuu but purposefully ignored it. Koko, Yuu, Ruka, and Kitsu made their way to Mikan and the transfer students while Mochu, Hayate, and Natsume stayed behind to brood in silence.

* * *

****I used more Japanese words than normal in this chapter. Let me know if I missed any. ****

****Japanese Words****

****Onigiri- Rice Ball****

****Tamagoyaki- Rolled Japanese Omelette made in a special rectangular omelet pan. ****

****Shoyu- Soy Sauce****

****Bocchan- Young little master, but can be used sarcastically to imply spoiled little rich kid****

****Ohayo Minna-san- Translates to Good Morning Everyone****

****Ikemen- Beautiful or Hot men****

****Kami-yaro - literally translates to some God-fellow, with yaro being impolite****


End file.
